Department for Transport

Railways: Passengers

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2019 to Question 226656 on Railways: Passengers, what corresponding increases in capacity in the form of (a) new rolling stock and (b) infrastructure enhancements have been provided by the rail industry in each of the last 30 years.

Andrew Jones: According to the Rail Delivery Group, there were 10,400 vehicles in passenger use in 1996/97 compared to 14,025 as at March 2018, an increase of over 3,500 vehicles. This additional fleet capacity is helping to lengthen trains and contribute towards the thousands of extra rail services each week. In addition, the rail industry reports a major increase in the efficient utilisation of the rolling stock fleet since 1995, in particular through much improved use of spare capacity at off-peak times. Further,, changes to trains types and their internal layouts has led to the average capacity of trains increasing substantially. For example through the replacement of slam-door carriages, introduction of trains with metro-style interiors and changes to seating configurations. Various infrastructure enhancements have also been made across the country, with around £15billion being spent in CP5 between 2014 and 2019 on rail infrastructure upgrades. This includes various capacity enhancement projects such as additional platforms, for example at Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester airport stations; platform lengthening, for example at London Waterloo and some other stations across the South East; and rail line capacity upgrades, such as four-tracking between Huyton and Roby on the Liverpool to Manchester route, track and signalling improvements on the Calder Valley route between Manchester and Bradford via Halifax, re-signalling between Plymouth and Penzance, and four-tracking on the Filton Bank in Bristol.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of the rail freight industry to support the construction of High Speed Two.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: During the development of the scheme HS2 Ltd has sought to assess the capacity of the rail freight industry to support its plans to transfer excavated and construction materials by rail. HS2 Ltd’s understanding of the volume of material that will need to be transported by rail continue to be refined. HS2 Ltd and its supply chain continue to engage with the rail industry to move these plans forward. As plans become more certain, HS2 Ltd and its supply chain are seeking to secure rail freight support, including making applications to Network Rail for timetable capacity allocation through the standard industry process. The first of these requests has been submitted, in time for the December 2019 timetable change.

Shipping: Employment

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of employment practices of shipping companies contracted to work in the offshore wind sector on employment levels for UK-resident seafarer (a) Ratings and (b) Officers.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous answer 220193 in which I explained that it is not possible to provide an estimate of UK seafarers operating on vessels in the offshore oil and gas sector. It is also not possible to estimate the numbers working in the UK offshore wind sector.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s vision is to have one of the best electric vehicle infrastructure networks in the world. This means current and prospective electric vehicle drivers being able to easily locate and access chargepoints that are affordable and secure. The Government has a number of different grant schemes to support infrastructure roll-out including the Government’s £4.5 million On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme which assists local authorities with the installation of chargepoints in residential areas. Motorists and businesses can receive grants for chargepoint installation through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme and the Workplace Chargepoint Scheme. Government is investing £20 million to deliver dedicated chargepoints for electric taxis and £14.2 million for bus recharging and refuelling under the Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme. The Government is also providing £40m through the Go Ultra Low City scheme which will see infrastructure installed in Bristol, London, Milton Keynes Nottingham Dundee, Oxford, York and the North East region and the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund is made up of £200m new Government investment matched by £200m private investors and will accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure.

Taxis: Licensing

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to reform taxi and private hire licensing laws.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The former Minister for Transport, Sir John Hayes, set up a working group to consider how private hire vehicle and taxi licensing authorities use their powers, and produce focussed recommendations for action. The Task and Finish Group on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing considered the regulation of the industry in their discussions. The report of the Task and Finish Group was published on 24 September 2018. On 12 February 2019 we published the Government’s response to the report of the Task and Finish Group which sets out which of the recommendations the Department proposes to take forward. Many of the short-term recommendations made by the Chair of the Task and Finish Group in his report are for licensing authorities to make full use of their extensive existing powers and these are a matter for licensing authorities to consider. Work has already started to take forward some of the recommendations, for example the Department launched, on 12 February, its consultation on draft statutory guidance to be issued to licensing authorities on the use of their powers to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm which will run until 22 April. Those reforms that require legislative change, for example national minimum standards, will be made through primary legislation when time allows.

Driving: Diabetes

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the stakeholders that his Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and diabetes mellitus consults with to inform its reviews of the current guidance.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what processes are in place to ensure that the Medical Advisory Panel on driving and diabetes mellitus consults regularly with a broad and representative range of stakeholders.

Jesse Norman: The Secretary of State’s Honorary Medical Advisory panels are made up of medical experts who are recognised in their respective fields, supported by lay members. The panels are not responsible for carrying out formal consultations. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency consults with key organisations to inform reviews of medical conditions in relation to driving. The results of these reviews are shared with the panels.The key organisations consulted include medical experts, charities, road safety groups and industry groups. For diabetes, this includes the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists, Diabetes UK, the Independent Diabetes Trust, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, BRAKE, the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association.

Department for Transport: Equal Pay

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to start discussions with trades unions on its equal pay review.

Jesse Norman: The Department is currently in the process of a procurement exercise to appoint an external provider to undertake an Equal Pay Review. Discussions with the unions will begin once an appointment has been made.

Department for Transport: Trade Unions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department allows Departmental trade unions to host presentations on induction courses in his Department's central offices.

Jesse Norman: Departmental policy, set out in the Staff Handbook, is to allow the departmental trade unions to be represented at induction meetings for new entrants. The induction pack for new entrants includes the wording: “The department encourages you to join an officially recognised Trade Union and to play an active part within it to ensure your views are represented. It is, of course a personal decision whether or not you do join a Trade Union.”

Department for Transport: Overtime

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department adheres to the findings of the employment appeal tribunal ruling in the case of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v. Mr G Willetts to ensure that voluntary overtime is included in holiday pay.

Jesse Norman: The Department is in discussions with the unions to ensure that terms and conditions are aligned with the ruling.

Driving Tests

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the performance management reports marks for driving examiners in (a) Quarter 1 and (b) Quarter 2 of 2018.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not itself publish performance management assessments for any staff, including driving examiners. However, the data in the tables below shows the information requested for (a) quarter 1 and (b) quarter 2 for the 2018/19 financial year.  2018/19 quarter 12018/19 quarter 2DescriptorNumber DescriptorNumberNot Recorded242 Not Recorded231Achieving1139 Achieving1133Developing162 Developing165Exceeding244 Exceeding241Intervening2 Intervening2Outstanding29 Outstanding28Supporting13 Supporting13Grand Total1831 Grand Total1813

Southern

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2019 to Question 230103 on Southern, how many Southern services ran without an on-board supervisor in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019 for the (i) whole and (ii) part of their journey.

Andrew Jones: In 2017, 1.6% (around 4,300) of Southern services scheduled to run with an OBS ran without an OBS for their whole journey, and 2.2% (around 5,900) ran without an OBS for part of their journey. In 2018, 0.4% (around 1,250) of Southern services scheduled to run with an OBS ran without an OBS for their whole journey, and 1.0% (around 2,900) ran without an OBS for part of their journey. In the figures for January and February 2019, 0.1% (around 50) of Southern services scheduled to run with an OBS ran without an OBS for their whole journey, and 0.5% (around 225) ran without an OBS for part of their journey.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Charging Points: West Midlands

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding has been allocated to the West Midlands Combined Authority for the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure; and over what time period that funding has been allocated.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 14 March 2019



In 2016 we announced an improved offer making available £4.5m to 2020 to Local Authorities wishing to install recharging infrastructure in residential areas for drivers of electric cars that lack offstreet parking through our On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme. 28 Local Authorities have applied to the scheme to date including Coventry City Council who have been awarded £300,000 to install 90 chargepoints. Additionally, as part of OLEV’s £20m Taxi Infrastructure Competition, Coventry, Wolverhampton and Birmingham were between them awarded over £4.5m in 2017 to help deliver charging infrastructure dedicated to ultra-low emission taxis. The Midlands was one of the eight ‘Plugged-in Places’ projects and received over £2.5m from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. Between December 2010 and 2013, the project helped develop a regional network of more than 850 electric vehicle Charging Points across both the East and West Midlands. The total funding amount awarded across the East and West Midlands for these schemes is £7.3 million.

*No heading*

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to promote the creation of skilled green jobs.

Claire Perry: There are around 400,000 people already working in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the UK. Our recently launched Offshore Wind Sector Deal highlights our commitment to grow this green sector from 7,200 jobs to 27,000 jobs by 2030.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the effect of pre-construction agreements between offshore wind farm owners and contractors on employment (a) conditions, (b) practices and (c) levels.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Retail Trade: Urban Areas

Maria Caulfield: What steps the Government is taking to support high street businesses.

Kelly Tolhurst: High streets are changing, and the Government is committed to helping communities adapt. In Budget 2018, we set out Our Plan for the High Street, a £1.6bn package to support the sustainable transformation of our high streets. This includes a £675m Future High Streets Fund, support for local leadership with a High Streets Task Force, and a one third cut to the business rates bills of eligible small retailers for two years from April this year.

Post Offices: Closures

Mr Virendra Sharma: What assessment he has made of the effect of recent post office closures on high street footfall.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognise and value the importance that post offices play in communities across the UK and we remain committed to the Post Office network’s future. There is no programme of Post Office closures and the network has been as its most stable for decades thanks to Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010. The Post Office have in fact opened 350 branches through their New Network Location programme since April 2017.

Fracking

Mike Amesbury: Whether it is his policy to promote fracking.

Claire Perry: As we make the transition to low carbon energy, the UK still needs gas. The Government believes shale gas is an important new domestic energy source as it meets of 30% of our energy demand We have been clear that any hydraulic fracturing has to be consistent with one of toughest regulatory regimes in the world.

Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

Dr Philippa Whitford: What plans he has to review the operation of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government has continued to examine and make reforms to the whistleblowing regime, both to the guidance and legislative framework of protections for workers. The most recent reforms came into effect last year. The Government will continue to listen to stakeholders and will, of course, review the recent reforms once there is sufficient evidence of their impact.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia: USA

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US Administration on that country's diplomatic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Alistair Burt: As the Foreign Secretary has said, the Government condemns Jamal Khashoggi's killing in the strongest possible terms. The Government remains clear that anyone found responsible must be held fully accountable. We regularly talk to the US about the full range of foreign and security policy issues and this includes our relationship with Saudi Arabia.​

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what instructions he has issued to the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 25 February 2019.

Sir Alan Duncan: No instructions have been issued. The UK Government is considering the details of the Advisory Opinion carefully.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what ordinances the Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory has issued in 2019; and what additional legislative proposals are planned following the February 2019 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Commissioner has issued no Ordinances in 2019 and currently has no plans for any additional legislation following the February 2019 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Mauritius

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to have discussions with his counterpart in Mauritius before a decision is made on scientific work in the (a) Chagos Islands and (c) exclusive economic zone declared by Mauritius around those islands.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK consistently reiterates its willingness to discuss scientific work in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) with Mauritius. The BIOT Marine Protected Area (MPA) is highly valued by scientists from many countries who consider it a global reference site for marine conservation in an ocean which is heavily overfished. Ministers are committed to further consultation with Mauritius about the establishment of the MPA in order to have due regard to its rights and interests, as directed by the Arbitral Tribunal of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Implementation of the Tribunal’s Award started with a series of bilateral talks, the latest of which took place in August 2016.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Visits Abroad

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the (a) British Indian Ocean Territory Commissioner and (b) his staff have to visit the Chagos Archipelago in 2019.

Sir Alan Duncan: Two officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and an official from the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration have already visited BIOT this year. There are tentative plans for the British Indian Ocean Territory Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to visit BIOT in May and for other FCO and BIOT Administration officials to visit during the course of the year.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Land

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made any disposals of land under section 14 of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Commissioner has made no disposal of land under section 14 of the British Indian Ocean Territory Constitution Order 2004.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Land

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria he has to assess before making a decision on the disposal of land under section 14 of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004.

Sir Alan Duncan: Before making a decision on the disposal of land under section 14 of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 20014, the Commissioner would be obliged to:Consider and comply with any law for the time being in force in the Territory. This would include the Acquisition of Land for Public Purposes Ordinance 1983, which confirms and declares that all land in the Territory is Crown Land. Before any disposition of land could lawfully be made, this Ordinance would require amendment or repeal. Such amendment or repeal would be subject to the disallowance procedure provided by section 11 of the Order;Confirm and comply with any instructions provided by a Secretary of State; andEnsure that any disposition of land could otherwise lawfully be granted in accordance with the Order.

Military Intervention

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what financial and non-financial support the Government has provided to the Coalition Joint Impact Assessment Team in Yemen in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019 to date.

Alistair Burt: We have provided training and advice to the Saudi Coalition, to support compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The British military has some of the highest standards in the world in how they conduct themselves in armed conflicts. We always seek to avoid civilian casualties and we are happy to share our hard-won experience with our partners. We regularly press, including at senior levels, the need for the Saudi-led Coalition to conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into reports of alleged violations of IHL.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assurances he received from the internationally recognised Government in Yemen that humanitarian aid is able to reach Yemeni citizens during his visit to Yemen on 3 March 2019.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign Secretary raised the importance of humanitarian access with President Hadi during his meeting on 2 March. We channel UK funds through UN agencies and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with a strong record of delivering and monitoring assistance. These organisations do everything they can under the most difficult circumstances to negotiate access, including in areas of active conflict, so that aid does get to those who need it most.

Yemen: Third Sector

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he held with civil-society organisations during his visit to Yemen on 3 March 2019.

Alistair Burt: While visiting the port of Aden, the Foreign Secretary met aid workers, including representatives of the Aden Office of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to discuss the humanitarian response to the Yemeni conflict. We continue to support and seek further information where appropriate from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil-society organisations.

Afghanistan: Ethnic Groups

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to bring those responsible for the persecution of Hazara people to justice.

Mark Field: ​The UK regularly urges the Government of Afghanistan and the Government of Pakistan to ensure that the human rights and safety of all minorities, including the Hazara people, are protected in line with international human rights obligations. We do so bilaterally and with international partners, including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the EU. At the Universal Periodic Review of Afghanistan at the UN Human Rights Council in January 2019, we recommended that the Government of Afghanistan establish an independent mechanism to assess how religious and ethnic minorities can be better protected.Following attacks last year affecting the Hazara community in Afghanistan, Embassy officials met with Hazara Members of Parliament for Ghazni to understand their concerns. The UK provides a range of support which aims to enhance the Afghan Government's ability to protect all Afghan citizens, including minority ethnic and religious groups such as the Hazaras.

Tibet: Human Rights

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help tackle human rights abuses in Tibet.

Mark Field: We are concerned about the human rights situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and association. We regard the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We consistently urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the PRC, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. We believe meaningful dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives from Tibet (including with the ‘Tibetan Government in Exile’) is the best way to address and resolve underlying tensions, and we urge all sides to restart talks. We raised our concerns about Tibet during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We asked an advanced question about Tibet and included our concerns in our statement.

Tibet: Freedom of Expression

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in China on respecting Tibetans' rights to freedom of expression; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: We are concerned about the human rights situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and association. We regard the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We consistently urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the PRC, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. We believe meaningful dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives from Tibet (including the ‘Tibetan Government in Exile’) is the best way to address and resolve underlying tensions, and we urge all sides to restart talks. We raised our concerns about Tibet during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We asked an advanced question about Tibet and included our concerns in our statement.

China: Organs

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on forced live organ harvesting in China.

Mark Field: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted. However, as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Europe and the Americas, said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.” The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency. We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.

China: Falun Gong

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of persecution of people who practise Falun Gong in China.

Mark Field: We remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, as well as Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and others, in China on the grounds of their religion or belief. Everyone should be free to practice their religion according to their beliefs, in accordance with the international frameworks to which both the UK and China are party. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and more resilient against violent extremism. We raised our concerns about freedom of religion or belief during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We also highlighted our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s most recent Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.

China: Organs

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the reported targeting of (a) Uighur Muslims, (b) Christians, (c) people who practise Falun Gong and (d) Tibetans for live organ harvesting in China.

Mark Field: We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.However, as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Europe and the Americas, said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Defence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to use the Outer Islands of the Chagos Archipelago for defence purposes.

Sir Alan Duncan: The British Indian Ocean Territory contributes significantly to regional and global security, principally through the joint UK-US defence facility on Diego Garcia. The whole of the Territory is available for defence purposes, including the outer islands.

North Korea: Nuclear Disarmament

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his counterpart in the US Administration on the denuclearisation of North Korea.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​I refer my Right Honourable Friend to the answer given by my Right Honourable Friend the Minister for Asia and the Pacific to the Right Honourable Member for Islington South and Finsbury on 11 March 2019, UIN 228597.

France: Visas

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent conversations he has had with his French counterpart on that country's visa plans for UK business travellers.

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart on plans that country has for a centralised biometric database when processing UK business travellers.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​As this is a matter for the Home Secretary, I have not discussed this with my French colleagues.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the plight of Rohingya refugees; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: ​The Foreign Secretary wrote to Foreign Minister Momen on 22 January, when he re-emphasised the importance he places on the Government of Bangladesh's stated commitment to voluntary, safe and dignified return for the Rohingya to their homeland in Burma. He also emphasised the importance of planning for a longer term and more sustainable response to the Rohingya crisis. I wrote to my counterpart Shahriar Alam on 10 January to pass on the same messages.We agree with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. The access in Burma required for independent monitoring by UN agencies is also not in place. We will continue to make representations to the governments of both Bangladesh and Burma not to commence returns while conditions in northern Rakhine remain as they are.I welcome the great generosity Bangladesh has shown in providing refuge for Rohingya who have fled terrible violence in Burma's Rakhine State. The UK is one of the largest donors to the refugee crisis in Bangladesh, providing £129 million in funding since August 2017. We have led the international response, including using our role as pen holder at the UN Security Council.We are committed to supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and expect to remain a leading donor to the humanitarian Joint Response Plan. We are actively engaged in conversations with the international community to ensure that the future response meets the needs of the refugees.

Burma: Trade Promotion

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason the Government decided to host a Myanmar Trade and Investment Conference in London; and what account was taken of human rights violations by the Government of Myanmar before the decision was made to host that conference.

Mark Field: ​Burma is emerging from decades of military rule and starting on the road to democracy. If the economy collapses, if people have no jobs, or cannot afford to feed themselves then this will damage the democratisation process and set back human rights. The conference enables us to work with UK businesses, investing responsibly, to play a role in the wider economic growth agenda in Burma. The British Government is clear that the Burmese military is responsible for a range of human rights violations in Rakhine and other ethnic states. We have led international calls for accountability to ensure that grave human rights violations do not go unpunished. A full EU arms embargo, which the UK has supported, remains in place against the Burmese military. Her Majesty's Government will seek to ensure that our work does not support military owned or backed businesses, and in the longer term, aim to level the playing field to promote inclusive growth.

Occupied Palestinian Territories: Demonstrations

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council on the report and recommendations of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the 2018 Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: We do not disclose our voting intentions in advance. In May the UK abstained on the UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for a Commission of Inquiry on the basis that the substance of a resolution must be impartial and balanced. Whilst the UK fully supports the need for an independent and transparent investigation into events, it is regrettable the Commission of Inquiry Report does not look comprehensively at the actions of non-state actors such as Hamas. Nevertheless the UK has serious concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces police non-violent protests and the border areas, including the use of live ammunition.

Israel: Gaza

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the UK has made to Israel on the effect of that country's blockade on the Gaza Strip on Palestinian refugees in Gaza.

Alistair Burt: We regularly raise our concerns about Gaza with the Israeli authorities, urging them to ease movement and access restrictions and work together with the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to see long-term improvements to the situation in Gaza. The UK remains a committed supporter of the UN Refugees and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the legal position on Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

Sir Alan Duncan: In the event of an unforeseen and fundamental change in circumstances, international law accepts that a state can withdraw from or terminate a treaty. This principle of customary law is reflected in Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations.

Department of Health and Social Care

Breast Cancer: Young People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to young mothers with breast cancer.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of secondary breast cancer patients who do not have access to a clinical nurse specialist or other support worker.

Steve Brine: Young mothers with breast cancer should receive personalised care in line with the NHS England Long Term Plan commitments for personalised stratified follow up and personalised care, taking into account the particular needs of people in this situation. The NHS Cancer Programme aims to improve access to cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) for all cancer patients when they need it, including those with secondary breast cancer. Health Education England is also working to expand the number of CNSs and develop clear CNS competencies and routes into training. NHS England is committed to ensuring that more patients have access to a CNS or other specialist from diagnosis onwards to guide them through treatment options and ensure they receive appropriate information and support. 91% of patients reported having access to a CNS in the 2017 Cancer Patient Experience Survey. The new NHS Long Term Plan commitment is that all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a CNS or other support worker by 2021. This will ensure access to personalised care, including needs assessment, a care plan and health and wellbeing information and support, and will be delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care.

Pain

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing a READ code for chronic pain.

Steve Brine: Read Codes, a coded thesaurus of clinical terms, have been used in the National Health Service since 1985. However, they were confirmed for retirement in 2014 and updates to the system are no longer being provided. SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms) is the clinical terminology that has replaced Read Codes within the NHS. It is a structured clinical vocabulary for use in an electronic health record and is the standard for communication of clinical information between providers of care. SNOMED CT is an approved information standard published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Within SNOMED CT, there are currently 87 concepts, which represent a unique clinical meaning, related to the recording of chronic pain, including chronic back pain, chronic neck pain and chronic pain control. These can be viewed using the NHS SNOMED CT browser at the following link: https://termbrowser.nhs.uk

Alcoholism: Females

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce rates of alcoholism among women.

Steve Brine: Local authorities are responsible for assessing their local need for treatment for alcohol dependence and commissioning a range of accessible services to meet these needs, including for alcohol-dependent women. Public Health England (PHE) works with local authorities to support them in this work by providing them with advice, data and guidance. PHE is supporting NHS England’s tobacco and alcohol commissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) scheme, which encourages hospitals to screen all inpatients about their alcohol and tobacco use and offer appropriate interventions. Guidance materials on the CQUIN are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-ill-health-commissioning-for-quality-and-innovation PHE is also working with NHS England to implement a programme targeting people who are alcohol dependent, as part of new prevention measures included in the National Health Service Long Term Plan. PHE’s One You campaign aims to motivate people to take steps to improve their health through action on the main risk factors, such as alcohol consumption. The campaign is available to view at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-body/drink-less/

Asthma: Prescriptions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2019 to Question 226472 on Asthma: Prescriptions, what the prescription charge exemptions are for which someone with asthma may qualify.

Steve Brine: Extensive arrangements are already in place to help people afford National Health Service prescriptions. These include a broad range of prescription charge exemptions, for which someone with asthma may qualify. An individual can get free NHS prescriptions if, at the time the prescription is dispensed, they:- are 60 or over;- are under 16;- are 16 to 18 and in full-time education;- are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and have a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx);- have a specified medical condition and have a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx);- have a continuing physical disability that prevents them going out without help from another person and have a valid MedEx;- hold a valid war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your accepted disability; and- are a NHS inpatient.Individuals are also entitled to free prescriptions if they or their partner receive, or are under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:- Income Support;- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit; and- Universal Credit and meet the criteria. Or are entitled to or named on:- a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate for Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits with a disability element (or both), and have income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less. For those on a low income, people may be eligible for full or partial help with prescription charges through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme. To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.

Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of CCGs in commissioning therapeutic services for survivors of sexual abuse.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of their budget CCGs have spent on therapeutic services for survivors of sexual abuse.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England has made no assessment of the effectiveness of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in commissioning therapeutic care for survivors of sexual assault. Following publication of the Strategic Direction for Sexual Assault and Abuse Services in April 2018, and the NHS Long Term Plan in January 2019, a letter was sent to commissioners on 6 February from myself and Kate Davies, Director of Health and Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning at NHS England. The letter asks commissioners to look at how they are meeting their responsibilities for victims and survivors of sexual assault and sets out the importance of commissioning better services that support victims in an informed and consistent way. A copy of the letter can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/services-for-victims-of-sexual-assault-letter-to-nhs-commissioners Information on the proportion of their budget CCGs have spent on therapeutic services for survivors of sexual abuse is not collected or held centrally.

Eating Disorders: Yorkshire and the Humber

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has in place to ensure that people in Yorkshire of all categories of (a) gender, (b) sexuality, (c) age and (d) ethnicity and background with an eating disorder are able to access treatment and support.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government is committed to ensuring everyone with an eating disorder, regardless of their geographical location has access to timely treatment based on clinical need. NHS England’s ‘Access and Waiting Time Standard for Children and Young People with an Eating Disorder: Commissioning Guide’ sets out guidance on establishing and maintaining eating disorder services. It states that eating disorder services for young people should follow the overarching principles for service design and development for children’s services required of local transformation plans. This includes meeting legal duties with regard to equality, with an aim to reduce inequality in access and outcomes. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cyp-eating-disorders-access-waiting-time-standard-comm-guid.pdf Every area produces an annual joint agency local transformation plan that sets out how services will improve children and young peoples’ mental health outcomes using the new resources. These plans support local governance and oversight and are included in sustainability and transformation plans for the wider National Health Service and social care system. The first waiting times have been set up to improve access to eating disorders services for children and young people. By 2020/21, 95% of children with an eating disorder will receive treatment within one week for urgent cases and within four weeks for routine cases. The latest figures indicate that the NHS is on track to meet that standard. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to “test four-week waiting times for adult and older adult community mental health teams, with selected local areas”. The exact scope and timelines of these pilots are yet to be finalised but we envisage that this will include testing waiting times for adult eating disorder services in those areas in receipt of new funding to expand these services.

Health and Care Professions Council: Fees and Charges

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to (a) undertake a review the decision by the Health and Care Professions Council on 14 February 2019 to increase subscription fees for allied health professionals and (b) make an assessment of the effect of that decision on trends in the level of employees in that sector.

Stephen Hammond: The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is independent of Government, funded by registrants’ fees on a costs recovery basis. It is the responsibility of the HCPC to set its registration fees at an appropriate level. Following a public consultation, the HCPC is planning to raise its annual fees by £16. If adopted, the HCPC’s annual registration fee will rise from £90 to £106 a year from October 2019. The HCPC’s registration fees will remain the lowest of any of the United Kingdom-wide health and care regulators. Registration fees are tax-deductible and this fee rise will amount to just over £1 a month extra for most of the HCPC’s registrants. The Government has made no assessment of the potential effects of the changes to the HCPC’s registration fees from October 2019.

Lung Cancer: Radiotherapy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to support the extension of stereotactic body radiation therapy services for lung cancer in radiotherapy centres throughout England.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of cancer centres that will be delivering stereotactic body radiation therapy services by (a) 2020 and (b) 2029.

Steve Brine: In 2016/17, regional specialised commissioning teams undertook a review of local access to stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) in the treatment of early non-small cell lung cancer for patients not suitable for surgery, in line with the current clinical commissioning policy, to ensure sufficient capacity. This review resulted in an increase from 17 SABR Centres in England to 25 and all centres underwent an external quality assurance process prior to commencing treatment delivery. NHS England is committed to expanding access to all forms of evidence based innovative radiotherapy. Such radiotherapy usually involves the highly targeted delivery of a higher radiation dose given in a smaller number of fractions. SABR is an example of this type of radiotherapy. To support this approach, NHS England has invested in both clinical trials, Commissioning through Evaluation and is also investing £130 million to modernise radiotherapy equipment. This means that new technologies able to deliver innovative treatments using image guidance at the time of treatment are gradually becoming widely available. NHS England is also investing in the establishment of 11 Radiotherapy Operational Delivery Networks which are expected to play an important role in driving the development of local radiotherapy services, including expanding access to innovative radiotherapy and clinical trial participation. At this stage, no estimate has been made of the numbers of radiotherapy centres that will be delivering SABR in either 2020 or 2029.

Diabetes: Preventive Medicine

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the clinical effectiveness of low carbohydrate diets in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Steve Brine: A joint working group between the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, NHS England and Diabetes UK is currently reviewing the evidence on lower carbohydrate diets (alongside higher fat and/or higher protein) compared to current Government advice for adults with type 2 diabetes. The draft report will be published for consultation in 2019.

Diets

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure Clinical Commissioning Groups use consistent criteria in relation to the clinical effectiveness of low carbohydrate diets when making local commissioning decisions .

Steve Brine: In the United Kingdom, the Government recommends that most people should follow a healthy balanced diet based on fruit and vegetables and higher fibre starchy carbohydrates, as illustrated by the national Eatwell Guide, available to view at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/742750/Eatwell_Guide_booklet_2018v4.pdf Government advice on carbohydrates is based on recommendations made by Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition in its Carbohydrates and Health report. This report is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-carbohydrates-and-health-report. Low carbohydrate diets appear to have an effect on weight loss in the short term, but there is no difference in weight after about 12 months, compared to losing weight through conventional weight loss diets. Further information on this can be viewed at the following links: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/obr.12405 https://discover.dc.nihr.ac.uk/content/signal-00597/low-fat-or-low-carbohydrate-diets-seem-just-as-effective-for-weight-loss The Department would expect clinical commissioning groups to take account of Government and Public Health England guidance.

Diabetes: Telemedicine

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what long term digital support his Department is providing for (a) people who are in remission from and (b) those at highest risk of type 2 diabetes.

Steve Brine: The NHS Long Term Plan published on 7 January 2019 outlines commitments to support individuals with type 2 diabetes through a number of digital and web-based approaches. This includes: - Plans to fund a doubling of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme over the next five years, including a new digital option to widen patient choice and target inequality;- Plans to support people who are newly diagnosed to manage their own health by further expanding provision of structured education and digital self-management support tools, including expanding access to HeLP Diabetes an online self-management tool for those with type 2 diabetes.- Work with the wider National Health Service, the voluntary sector, developers, and individuals in creating a range of apps to support particular conditions; and- People newly diagnosed with diabetes will be supported through expanded pilots for digital structured education.Due to a limited evidence base for digital approaches, NHS England has been running a large scale real world evaluation of digital interventions. They have been working with five digital providers and currently over 4,000 people have registered to use these services. The evidence indicates positive rates of engagement, encouraging weight loss, and suggests a strong uptake amongst the working age population. The formal evaluation will be complete at the start of 2020, and if positive, will justify wide-scale roll-out of digital delivery, beyond the 20,000 per annum currently planned.

Electronic Cigarettes

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to promote vaping products as an effective way for smokers to quit smoking.

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to encourage smokers to switch to vaping products.

Steve Brine: The Government’s Tobacco Control Plan for England commits Public Health England (PHE) to include in its quit smoking campaigns messages about e-cigarettes. Since the publication of the Plan in July 2017, PHE’s annual Stoptober campaign has featured e-cigarettes as one of the evidence-based quitting support options for smokers, and the New Year smoking health harms awareness campaign has made clear the reduction in health risk when a smoker switches completely to vaping. PHE encourages all local Stop Smoking Services in England to provide additional support to people who want to use an e-cigarette in their quit attempt to maximise their chance of success. The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, includes a new universal smoking cessation offer for long-term users of specialist mental health services, the option of switching to e-cigarettes while in inpatient settings.

National Drug Treatment Monitoring System

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money from the public purse was allocated to the national drug treatment monitoring system by the Government in each year from 2010 to 2018.

Steve Brine: Data on how much money from the public purse was allocated to the National Drug Treatment Monitoring Service by the United Kingdom Government for each year from 2010 to 2018 is not held in the format requested.

Hospital Wards: Closures

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of times hospital wards have closed to maintain safe staffing levels for each of the last ten years for which records are available.

Caroline Dinenage: The information is not held centrally.

Continuing Care: Reviews

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on (a) the number of independent reviews for NHS Continuing Healthcare that have been undertaken for each year and (b) the length of time taken to complete those reviews in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Caroline Dinenage: NHS England undertook 694 independent reviews of NHS Continuing Healthcare eligibility in 2017/18 and 642 independent reviews from 1 April 2018 up to 31 January 2019. Of the independent reviews undertaken in 2017/18 it took on average 349 days from the date of request to the date they were considered or heard before an independent review panel, and in 2018/19 it took on average 417 days. Independent review data collection started in 2017/18. NHS England does not hold data for earlier years as requested.

Genetics: Health Services

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the National Genomic Strategy will be launched; and what opportunities there will be for stakeholder involvement in that strategy's development.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government is committed to making the United Kingdom home of genomic healthcare. The National Genomic Healthcare Strategy, which we plan to launch in autumn 2019, will set out how the genomics community can work together to make the UK the global leader. We will be leading a national conversation to develop the strategy, which will include comprehensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

Genetics: Screening

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his goal to sequence five million genomes will be realised; and what steps his Department will take to ensure that participants reflect the demographic make-up of the population.

Caroline Dinenage: Our bold aspiration is to sequence five million genomes in the United Kingdom over the next five years. Through UK Biobank and NHS England, we already have commitments to sequence at least one million whole genomes. We will set develop our plans for the remaining four million as part of the National Genomic Healthcare Strategy, announced on 27 February 2019. We anticipate working with partners in the devolved administrations, research institutions, charities and industry to realise this ambition. The whole genome sequencing of the UK Biobank participants will reflect the diverse volunteer population. The whole genome sequencing through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service will be done for those eligible under the National Genomic Test Directory in order to provide consistent and equitable access to genomic medicine and sequencing. We will fully consider diversity issues as part of the delivery of the wider five million ambition.

Streptococcus

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS Resolution's claims management system has an injury code specific to invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection to improve the quality of data collection on GBS clinical negligence cases.

Steve Brine: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England. All claims received are categorised against pre-defined ‘cause’ codes on its claims management system. The cause code refers to the main cause(s) of the incident in relation to the claim. NHS Resolution has advised that it is in the process of considering a new cause code for ‘Neonatal’ with a possible sub-code for Group B streptococcus. A decision on this is expected by summer 2019. NHS Resolution uses the codes to support the production of claims scorecards for NHS trusts which enables trusts to ascertain potential risks within their organisation and assess where local interventions are needed.

Streptococcus

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make invasive Group B Streptococcus infection a notifiable disease.

Jackie Doyle-Price: There are no plans to make Group B streptococcus infection a notifiable disease in England.

Community Hospitals: Social Services

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the proportion of specialised social care provided by community hospitals.

Caroline Dinenage: Holding answer received on 18 March 2019



No assessment has been made of the potential merits of increasing the proportion of specialised social care in community hospitals. Local authorities have duties under the Care Act 2014 to meet the eligible needs of the people in their local area, subject to a financial assessment. Local authorities should ensure that they commission appropriate and effective services for people with eligible care and support needs. Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) bring together local organisations to redesign care and improve population health, creating shared leadership and action. They are a pragmatic and practical way of delivering the ‘triple integration’ of primary and acute care, physical and mental health services, and health with social care. ICSs will have a key role in working with local authorities at ‘place’ level and through ICSs, the National Health Service and local government will work together to design services and improve population health. The NHS Long Term Plan set out a vision for ICSs to cover the whole country by April 2021.

Primary Health Care

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England’s document, Investment and evolution: A five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement the NHS Long Term Plan, published on 31 January 2019, what plans his Department has to ensure the integration of local authority-commissioned public health services within the new Primary Care Networks.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England’s document, Investment and evolution: A five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement the NHS Long Term Plan, published on 31 January 2019, what plans his Department has to ensure the integration of (a) sexual and reproductive health services and (b) contraception provision within the new Primary Care Networks.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England’s document, Investment and evolution: A five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement the NHS Long Term Plan, published on 31 January 2019, whether the new Network Contract DES will require Primary Care Networks to collaborate with local authorities in delivering integrated care to local populations.

Steve Brine: Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are collaborations between general practitioner (GP) practices and a range of other local providers, typically serving a population of between 30,000 and 50,000. The Network Contract Direct Enhanced Service payment for PCNs is in final development and will be published in due course. It is expected that PCNs should engage with local authorities as a key local partner in the delivery of integrated health and care services in order to support the objectives in the NHS Long Term Plan. From April 2019, contraception services will no longer be an Additional Service under the Regulations governing the General Medical Services contract but will become part of Essential Services for GP contractors.

Primary Health Care: Females

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England’s document, Investment and evolution: A five-year framework for GP contract reform to implement the NHS Long Term Plan, published 31 January 2019,  whether his Department has plans to introduce a national service specification for women’s health including a focus on (a) sexual and reproductive health and (b) contraception.

Steve Brine: The recently published 2019/20 general practitioner (GP) Contract announced seven national service specifications that will be developed for the new Primary Care Networks:- Structured Medications Review and Optimisation;- Enhanced Health in Care Homes, to implement the vanguard model;- Anticipatory Care requirements for high need patients typically experiencing several long term conditions, joint with community services;- Personalised Care, to implement the NHS Comprehensive Model;- Supporting Early Cancer Diagnosis;- Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Diagnosis; and- Tackling Neighbourhood Inequalities. There are no current plans for an additional service specification on women’s health, as we would expect the health needs of all patients, including women, to be a key consideration in each of the seven service specifications. In addition, under the General Medical Services contract, GP practices must provide essential services that include the provision of appropriate ongoing treatment and care to all of their patients and onward referral where appropriate. From April 2019, contraception services will no longer be an Additional Service under the Regulations governing the General Medical Services contract but will become part of Essential Services for GP contractors.

Health Services: Refugees

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what language support NHS services should provide for refugees who lack the English language skills required to communicate with those services in (a) the UK and (b) in Liverpool.

Jackie Doyle-Price: People using NHS services who experience a communications barrier may be entitled to access interpreting and translation services. For people who need assistance communicating with healthcare professionals, such as refugees or asylum seekers, NHS services should ensure they comply with legislative provisions such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. For general practice, NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) contracts with three companies to provide translation and interpreting services: Language Line for telephone translation; Global Accent for face to face translation; and Action on Hearing Loss for British Sign Language. The CCG also commissions a local quality improvement scheme (enhanced service) to support general practice in the provision of services for asylum seekers and refugees. Practices are funded based on the number of asylum seekers/refugees on their list.

Autism: Children

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children are living with autism in (a) Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough constituency, (b) Sheffield and (c) England.

Caroline Dinenage: Data is not held centrally on the number of autistic children in Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough constituency and in Sheffield. The ‘Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, Autism spectrum, eating and other less common disorders topic report 2017’ presents the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, eating disorders, and other less common disorders in five to 19 year olds in England. Autism Spectrum Disorder was identified in 1.2% of five to 19 year olds. The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in five to 15 year olds remained stable between 2004 (1.0%) and 2017 (1.3%). A copy of the report is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2017/2017

Department for International Development

Uganda: Overseas Aid

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has allocated to Uganda in each of the last three years; what projects that funding supports; and whether her Department has experienced issues with corruption in Uganda over that period.

Harriett Baldwin: Financial YearDFID Funding to Uganda (£)2016 – 2017110,056,3272017 – 2018124,803,1462018 - 2019*102,100,000Total*336,959,474Figure 1: table providing details of DFID’s funding in Uganda in each of the last 3 financial years  *Indicative figures as 18/19 financial year has not concluded. A list of the programmes the Department for International Development (DFID) has supported over the last three years is published on https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. DFID has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption of any kind. Where taxpayers’ money is misused, we expect our partners to take firm and immediate action and that partners with which we work protect the UK aid funds for which they are responsible, whilst acting with honesty and with integrity at all times. Any allegations of fraud and or corruption are subject to robust investigation. In January 2018, allegations of fraud and corruption arose in the Uganda Refugee Operation. The Government of Uganda, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, World Food Programme and Development Partners (represented by the UK, EU and US) agreed on the Joint Plan of Action, which resulted in systems improvements.

Overseas Aid: Charities

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of the process for charities to bid for funding from her Department on (a) the ability of specialist organisations to successfully bid for such funding and (b) women that are potential benefactors of that funding.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID has not made an overall assessment of the effect of funding process on specialist organisations and female beneficiaries. However, DFID has taken a number of steps to increase the range of organisations funded and the accessibility of its funds. DFID’s 2016 Civil Society Partnership Review recommended a shift towards more open, competitive programmes. This opened up opportunities for a wider range of civil society organisations. This was supported by the 2017 Supplier Review, when DFID committed to cutting red tape to boost competition and open up DFID’s market to a wider range of organisations. All DFID programmes are required to consider how the programme will contribute to reducing gender inequality. All programmes are encouraged to collect data disaggregated by sex, age, disability and geography to understand who our programmes are reaching, in line with our commitments to the Data Disaggregation Plan and Inclusive Data Charter.

Zimbabwe: Health Services

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her Zimbabwean Government on (a) health services and (b) UK aid to that country.

Harriett Baldwin: I have regular contact with counterparts in the Zimbabwean Government, including holding discussions on Zimbabwe with regional counterparts during a recent visit to Southern Africa. Officials based in Zimbabwe hold regular meetings at official and Ministerial level to discuss issues including UK aid and health services.

World Bank: Public Appointments

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure a transparent selection process for the next President of the World Bank Group.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to World Bank Group shareholders for a merit-based selection process for the selection of the next President of the World Bank Group.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent representations she has received on the selection process for the position of President of the World Bank.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with World Bank Group shareholders on the practice of choosing the President of the World Bank based on nationality.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is Government policy to seek a transparent vote by World Bank Group shareholders for the selection of the next World Bank President.

Harriett Baldwin: The Secretary of State has not received any direct representations on the selection process for the position of President of the World Bank.HM Government has communicated to other Board members its support for an open, merit-based and transparent process for selecting the next President of the World Bank Group (WBG).There are no nationality requirements for the role of President and the Secretary of State has not had any discussions with World Bank Group shareholders about choosing the President of the World Bank based on nationality.The World Bank Executive Director’s agreed on 9 January an open, merit-based, and transparent process, in which any Board member was free to nominate candidates by 14 March. A single candidate was formally nominated, and the Executive Directors will interview this candidate. HM Government considers that, to empower Board members to make decisions primarily on the basis of the merits of the candidate, individual votes should not be disclosed.

UNRWA: Finance

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to her counterpart in the US administration on its decision to maintain its reduction to UNRWA funds.

Alistair Burt: As the Minister responsible for the Middle East, I raised the US withdrawal of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) with the US President’s Middle East Envoy, Jason Greenblatt, on 28 September 2018. The Secretary of State has not spoken with her counterpart in the US administration about the decision to maintain a withdrawal of funding from UNRWA, but recently discussed this with Nita Lowey, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, on March 7th 2019. The Secretary of State raised her concerns about the impact of funding cuts to UNRWA on the delivery of essential services to Palestinian refugees, including to the provision of healthcare and education. The UK has been clear that we are concerned about the impact of US cuts to UNRWA on regional stability and services to Palestinian refugees. UK officials continue to engage with the US on this matter, and we will continue to work with UNRWA and other donors to help place the Agency on a more secure financial footing.

UNRWA: Finance

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department plans to allocate to UNRWA in response to its emergency appeal for 2019.

Alistair Burt: UNRWA has two 2019 emergency appeals for the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Regional Syria Crisis. The UK Government has multi-year commitments to support UNRWA’s Regional Syria Emergency Appeal and UNRWA’s core programme budget. We plan to provide £13m to the Regional Syria Emergency Appeal in 2019 and we also intend to provide £33.5m to UNRWA’s core programme budget next financial year. The UK is a leading donor to UNRWA and I am proud to confirm that we plan to provide up to £80m to UNRWA overall over the next two years. As one example of the impact UK Aid will have, our support to UNRWA’s Regional Syria Appeal will help provide life-saving assistance for the 438,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria, 95% of whom need sustained humanitarian assistance, and 17,700 Palestinian refugees displaced from Syria seeking shelter in Jordan.

UNRWA: Finance

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of UNRWA funding as a result of the decision by the US Government to reduce its funding to that agency.

Alistair Burt: Following US cuts in 2018, the international community was able to step up and meet the shortfall, allowing UNRWA to continue to provide essential basic services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. However, we recognise that these refugee populations need UNRWA be on a more secure financial footing. To that end, the UK is working with UNRWA and other donors to ensure its sustainability. This includes finding further cost savings reforms, diversifying donor income, and encouraging multi-year funding commitments. The UK is a leading donor to UNRWA and I am proud to confirm that we plan to provide up to £80m to UNRWA over the next two years.

Department for Education

Foster Care

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made on (a) increasing the number of and (b) improving support for foster carers since the Fostering better outcomes report published in July 2018.

Nadhim Zahawi: ‘Fostering Better Outcomes’ set out our commitment to improving the lives of children in foster care, including making sure there are sufficient foster parents to meet the needs of children, and that foster parents have access to the support they need. Whilst achieving this is a long-term strategy and requires everyone in the system to work together to bring about real improvements for foster parents and the children for whom they care, we have already made significant progress towards our commitments, including the following points: We have undertaken a digital ‘discovery phase’ and have now moved to an ‘alpha’ testing phase, exploring how information and support can be made more accessible to current and prospective foster parents.We are developing the ‘fostering trailblazers’ concept focusing on how we can best identify, evaluate and share examples of best practise.The annual uplift to the national minimum allowance for foster parents was published in March. A communication has been sent to all Directors of Children’s Services making clear that this is the very minimum that we expect foster parents to be paid.We have extended the Department for Education’s contract with Fosterline in order that current and prospective foster parents can continue to access free independent advice, advocacy and support that they tell us they find so valuable.We have worked with the Fostering Network to strengthen the Foster Carer Charter, which clearly details the support foster parents can expect. We continue to encourage all fostering services to commit publicly to the charter.Following our £3.8 million investment through the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, we will share the evaluation of the Mockingbird Family Model project, to enable more fostering providers to understand the benefits and value of peer support to foster parents in order to develop their own systems.We have invited bids from new or existing fostering partnerships to develop or expand collaborative approaches to sufficiency planning and commissioning of fostering placements, using needs analysis and innovative delivery models.

Schools: Asbestos

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the viability of removing all asbestos from schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department takes the safety of pupils, staff and visitors to schools very seriously. The decision to remove asbestos from schools is made on a case by case basis. Advice from the Health and Safety Executive is that if asbestos is unlikely to be damaged or disturbed, then it is best managed in situ. The Department is also clear that when asbestos cannot be managed effectively in situ, it should be removed. Since 2015, the Department has allocated £6 billion to those responsible for school buildings, for essential maintenance and improvements, including removing or encapsulating asbestos when it is the safest course of action to do so. In addition, our Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding or refurbishing buildings in the worst condition in over 500 schools across the country. Asbestos was a factor in selecting buildings for the programme.

Sex and Relationship Education: Primary Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2019 to Question 223981, what information he provides to primary schools on how they can meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty if they choose to omit LGBT families from relationship education teaching.

Nick Gibb: All schools are required to offer a broad and balanced curriculum and we trust schools to deliver this in a way that meets the needs of all their pupils. The draft guidance on relationships education also sets out how schools can reflect LGBT families in a sensitive manner, for example by teaching pupils that others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care. This is in the context of wider teaching about positive, respectful relationships including family and caring friendships, as well as respect for different beliefs. The Department has also published guidance to help schools understand how the Equality Act (2010) affects them and how to fulfil their duties under the Act.

John Roan School: Inspections

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when Ofsted plans to carry out a monitoring inspection of the John Roan secondary school in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Apprentices: Greater London

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of companies who have transferred the apprenticeship levy in London.

Anne Milton: As at 31 January 2019, there were 200 commitments in England entered into the apprenticeship service, where the transfer of funds between apprenticeship service accounts has been approved (a commitment is where a potential apprentice, who is expected to go on to start an apprenticeship, has been recorded with the Apprenticeship Service). Of these transferred commitments as at 31 January 2019, there were 130 transferred commitments that had materialised into apprenticeship starts. More information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeship-and-levy-statistics-february-2019. Information on companies transferring apprenticeship levy funds in each region of England is not held centrally. Many levy-paying employers are headquartered in one region but operate across the country meaning that we cannot attribute levy-funds transferred in individual locations. Individual employers have control of the expenditure (and transfer) of apprenticeship levy funds based on their current and future skills needs.

Music: Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference the speech by the Minister of State for School Standards on the importance of knowledge-based education, delivered on 19 October 2017, what steps he is taking to ensure that classroom music teachers teach within their area of specialism; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage singing in schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department is committed to ensuring that a high-quality music education is available to every child. Singing is an important part of every child’s musical education. One of the aims of the national curriculum for music is that all pupils learn to sing, and the programmes of study make clear what is expected at key stages 1-3. It is up to individual schools to decide how to deliver the music curriculum. To support them in this, the Department is currently developing a model music curriculum, which will be published later this year. Since 2012 we have had a national network of music education hubs and the Government is spending £300 million on these hubs between 2016 and 2020. One of their core roles is to develop a singing strategy to ensure that every pupil sings regularly, and that choirs and other vocal ensembles are available in their area. In 2016/17, music education hubs reported over 15,000 choirs. These either were run independently by schools or were supported or delivered by the music education hubs.Teachers’ subject knowledge is vital to the successful delivery of the curriculum. The Government believes that in secondary schools all subjects should be taught by specialists where possible. The percentage of music teachers with relevant qualifications for the subjects they teach is higher than for most other subjects, with 97% of music hours being taught by a specialist teacher in 2017.

Dance and Drama: Education

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to provide dance and drama as subject areas in their own right at primary schools as recommended by the independent review, Cultural Education in England, published in 2012.

Nick Gibb: There are no current plans to provide dance and drama as subject areas in their own right. Dance and drama are compulsory within the National Curriculum as part of the physical education (PE) and English programmes of study, respectively. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has made a commitment to make no further significant changes to the curriculum or to qualifications, other than those already announced, during the remainder of this Parliament.Through the Primary PE and sport premium, the Government has invested over £1 billion of ring fenced funding to primary schools to improve PE and sport since 2013. Schools can use this to provide dance activities if they wish. The Government is also piloting Youth Performance Partnerships pilots; new partnerships between arts organisations and schools to help children and young people take part in drama performance.

Post-18 Education and Funding Review

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to consult with organisations from the higher education, further education and school sectors on the forthcoming recommendations of the post-18 education and funding review.

Chris Skidmore: The independent panel has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement with stakeholders and experts as part of the post-18 education and funding review – including a call for evidence that received over 400 responses. The government will continue to engage with stakeholders, including organisations from the higher education, further education and school sectors, to ensure it delivers a post-18 education system that is joined up and supported by a funding system that works for students and taxpayers.

GCSE: Children in Care

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many looked-after children achieved five GCSEs graded A - C in each year for the last 10 years.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of looked-after children achieved five GCSEs graded A - C in each year for the last 10 years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The number and percentage of looked-after children who achieved 5 or more GCSEs at grades A*-C (or equivalent) in each year are shown in the table. Looked-after children are defined as those looked after continuously for at least 12 months as at 31 March of the year in which key stage 4 assessments were taken.A large percentage (63%) of looked-after children enter care due to abuse or neglect. They often have disrupted experience of education and this pre-care experience can have a significant impact on their attainment. Looked-after children are almost 4 times more likely to have a special educational need than all children and are almost 10 times more likely to have a statement and education, health and care plan than all children. There is also a disproportionately high prevalence of social, emotional and mental health difficulties among looked-after children. We recognise these needs as well as the fact that looked-after children have top priority in school admissions and we expect them to be placed in good or outstanding schools.Schools must appoint a designated teacher for looked-after children and local authorities must have a virtual school head who is accountable for the education attainment of all the children looked after by the authority. We have introduced the Pupil Premium Plus for looked-after children (£2300 per pupil), which is managed by the school head teacher, to deliver the outcomes in each looked-after child’s personal education plan. 



230718_230719_table_looked_after_children
(Excel SpreadSheet, 60.5 KB)

Post-18 Education and Funding Review

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government’s commitment not to impose a cap on the number of students that can access post-18 education applies to all forms of post-18 education.

Chris Skidmore: We have no intention to re-introduce a cap on the number of students accessing post-18 education. We want our education system to provide opportunities for everybody to improve their position in life. That is why we abolished the pre-existing cap on higher education student numbers and reduced barriers to entry. Record numbers of disadvantaged students are now going to university.

Children in Care: Administration of Justice

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what percentage of children in care have been (a) cautioned, (b) charged and (c) come into contact with the criminal justice system each year for the last 10 years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department collects data on looked after children who have been looked after continuously for 12 months and who were convicted, or subject to, youth cautions or youth conditional cautions. Figures for the last 10 years are shown in the attached table.Latest figures can be found in table I1 of the statistical release ‘Children Looked After in England Including Adoption: 2017 to 2018’, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.Similar information for looked after children who have not been looked after continuously for 12 months is not held centrally.Information on whether a looked after child has any other contact with the criminal justice system is not held centrally. 



230722_table_children_in_care
(Excel SpreadSheet, 56.5 KB)

Higher Education: Admissions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the universities of Oxford and Cambridge on the implications of the findings of the Sutton Trust report on Access to Advantage for his Department's policies.

Chris Skidmore: Widening access and participation in higher education is a priority for this government. Everyone with the capability to succeed in higher education should have the opportunity to benefit from a university education, regardless of background or where they grew up. This year, record rates of English 18 year olds, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have entered full-time university. However, more could and should be done. That is why in our recent guidance to the Office for Students, we asked them to continue in its efforts to secure greater and faster progress in ensuring that students from disadvantaged and under-represented groups can access and successfully participate in higher education, including at the most selective providers. In addition, a new transparency condition requires higher education providers to publish application, offer, acceptance, non-continuation and attainment rates by socio-economic background, gender and ethnicity. It will provide greater transparency and help drive fairness on admissions and outcomes. Prior attainment is a critical factor, and the government has asked higher education providers to take on a more direct role in helping to raise attainment in schools as part of their outreach activity. All providers are expected to help raise attainment and support school improvement, including through school sponsorship and by establishing new state schools.

Sign Language: Education

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to allow students to study British Sign Language at school.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to supporting the education of all children and young people with special educational needs or a disability, including those with a hearing impairment. Schools may choose to offer British Sign Language (BSL) in their individual school curriculum or include it as part of their extra-curricular activities programme. There are existing accredited BSL qualifications at Levels 1,2,3,4 and 6, for which schools may enter pupils at any point in their school careers. The Department and Ofqual (the independent qualifications regulator) have received a proposal for a BSL GCSE from the exam board Signature. All GCSEs need to meet certain subject content and assessment requirements to ensure that they are of the standard expected of GCSEs. The Department is now developing draft BSL GCSE subject content, which will be considered against the subject content criteria requirements that apply to all GCSEs. If these expectations are met and a BSL GCSE is ready to be introduced, the Department will then consider whether to make an exception to our general rule that there should be no new GCSEs in this Parliament.

Selective Schools Expansion Fund

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, from which of his Department's budgets the Selective School Expansion Fund will be funded.

Nick Gibb: The Selective School Expansion Fund is one of the programmes funded from within the department’s capital budget. New capital funding to support this programme was announced at Autumn Statement 2016.

Free Schools: Finance

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has allocated any funding for free schools to other policy areas in the past 12 months.

Nick Gibb: Published budgets represent our best estimate of how money will be spent this year. In-year changes to the delivery of construction programmes, including the free schools programme, do not impact on the overall budget for those programmes. Any change to those estimates is managed within the Department’s overall capital budget. The Department is investing £23 billion in the school estate in the current Spending Review period (2016-17 to 2020-21), including the free schools programme. There are 443 free schools open across the country. The Department is working with proposers to establish up to a further 263 free schools, and in the 2017 Budget, announced funding towards the cost of approving an additional 110 new schools. Details on 2018-19 capital budgets can be found in the Department’s ‘Supplementary Estimate’, available at: https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Education/Estimates-Memoranda/doe-Supplementary-Estimate-17-19.pdf.

Alternative Education: Finance

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has diverted any funds that had been allocated to the improvement and expansion of alternative provision to other policy areas in the past 12 months.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to reforming alternative provision and published the plan ‘Creating opportunity for all: Our vision for alternative provision’ in March 2018. In August the projects funded by the Department’s £4 million alternative provision (AP) Innovation Fund began. The Department also commissioned external research into the AP market and AP practice which was published in October 2018. On 11 March 2019, the Department launched competitions for 2 new AP free schools, having assessed bids from local authorities who had worked in partnership with local schools in their area. The document ‘Creating opportunity for all’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/713665/Creating_opportunity_for_all_-_AP_roadmap.pdf. As alternative provision is predominately funded through the high needs funding block of local authorities’ dedicated schools grant, the sector will benefit from my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State’s December announcement that an extra £250 million would be allocated for high needs funding. This was on top of the increases already promised, across the current and next financial year, bringing the total to £6.1 billion in 2018/19, and £6.3 billion in 2019/20.

National Association of Head Teachers

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what occasions since he took office he has met with representatives of the National Association of Head Teachers.

Nick Gibb: Since taking office, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has had two bi-lateral meetings with the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) and attended NAHT’s annual conference in May 2018. Department for Education officials meet all the teacher and head teacher unions, including NAHT, every month. The Secretary of State has attended these meetings on two occasions. During this period, I have also met NAHT, as has my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System and my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families.

IGCSE

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his department has made of the adequacy of the current regulations on IGCSEs, and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 15 March 2019



The Department has not made any recent assessment of regulatory requirements on international GCSEs, including IGCSEs. Awarding organisations are able to choose whether the qualifications they offer are submitted for regulation by Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator. The majority of international GCSE qualifications currently offered are not regulated.We have reformed GCSEs to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to prepare for their future. Unlike most international GCSEs these new, gold standard GCSEs are regulated by Ofqual, so parents, universities and others are able to have confidence in their rigour and quality. As each new GCSE subject is introduced, only GCSEs in that subject will count in school performance tables, which apply equally to maintained and independent schools, and international GCSEs in that subject will no longer count. Most maintained schools no longer offer international GCSEs. We expect that over time, more independent schools will recognise the benefits the new GCSEs bring to pupils.The Department recognises that there are concerns around the relative standard of international GCSEs. We are currently working with the relevant awarding organisations and Ofqual to understand those issues better and to determine what, if any, action should be taken.

Schools: Special Educational Needs

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the  number of schools in England (a) have or (b) are planning to close their resource base provision for children with special educational needs.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 15 March 2019



The Department does not collect data on changes made to local authority maintained schools, as local authorities are responsible for making such changes. Since September 2016, three academies have removed provision reserved for children with special educational needs (SEN); this includes “resourced provision” and “designated SEN units”. A further academy has proposed to close its SEN provision. Although one of these academies closed its provision due to financial unviability; in the main, SEN provision is removed from a particular school because of reorganisation, so the provision is retained but delivered elsewhere. Within the same timeframe seven academies have added new SEN provision, one academy is due to add provision in September this year and a further two have proposed to do so.

Football: Females

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adding football to the PE curriculum for girls.

Nadhim Zahawi: The national curriculum for PE is designed to ensure that all pupils develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities, are physically active for sustained periods of time and lead healthy and active lives. The requirements do not differentiate in relation to gender. Schools are free to organise and deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum that suits the needs of all of their pupils. In doing so, they must have regard to their duties under the Equality Act (2010). The government guidance on the Equality Act makes it clear that, while an exception in the act allows for the provision of single-sex sporting activities, the school would still have to allow girls equal opportunities to participate in comparable sporting activities. Football is a popular sport in schools. Data from the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey 2017/18 reported that 31% of pupils – boys and girls - took part in football at least once a week at school. Our cross-government school sport and activity action plan will consider ways to ensure that all children have access to quality, protected PE and sport sessions during the school week and opportunities to be physically active throughout the school day. It will be published in spring 2019.

Schools: Insulation

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of school buildings with flammable cladding.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 15 March 2019



As part of the cross-governmental response to the Grenfell fire tragedy, the Department undertook an analysis of all school buildings over a height of 18 metres to establish which, if any, type of external cladding had been used. This analysis identified one school over a height of 18 metres with cladding that failed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s test to identify flammable cladding. This cladding has now been removed. The Government attaches the highest priority to the safety of pupils and staff. All schools have to follow strict fire safety regulations, including having a fire risk assessment, designed to ensure that they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire.

Schools: Fire Extinguishers

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the written answer of 8 February 2018 to Question 126694 on Schools: Fire Extinguishers, whether his Department has completed the further work that will enable him to provide figures on sprinklers fitted in all schools delivered centrally by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 15 March 2019



The Government attaches the highest priority to the safety of pupils and staff. All schools have to follow strict fire safety regulations, including having a fire risk assessment designed to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire. Sprinklers must be fitted where they are deemed necessary to keep pupils and staff safe, following an assessment of risk at the design stage, or to meet local planning requirements. All new school building projects must comply with building regulations, including on fire safety, and this must be independently checked by building control or an approved inspector before buildings are occupied. The number of new schools built by the Department under the Priority Schools Building Programme and free schools programme by February 2019, was 673. Sprinklers are fitted in 105 of these schools. On 8 March 2019, the Department issued a call for evidence on its technical guidance, ‘Building Bulletin 100 - Design for fire safety in schools’. The call for evidence is the first stage in a public consultation process, working with technical experts and key stakeholders, to revise and update the guidance.

Schools: Fire Extinguishers

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in phase two of the Priority Schools Building Programme have now been designed; and what proportion of those designs include sprinkler systems for fire safety.

Nick Gibb: The Government attaches the highest priority to the safety of pupils and staff. All schools have to follow strict fire safety regulations, including having a fire risk assessment designed to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire. Sprinklers must be fitted where they are deemed necessary to keep pupils and staff safe, following an assessment of risk at the design stage, or to meet local planning requirements. All new school building projects must comply with building regulations, including on fire safety, and this must be independently checked by building control or an approved inspector before buildings are occupied. The majority of schools in the Priority Schools Building Programme phase 2 are still in the design phase and consideration is still being given to sprinkler systems. Of the 36 schools currently open, three have sprinkler systems. On 8 March 2019, the Department issued a call for evidence on its technical guidance, ‘Building Bulletin 100 - Design for fire safety in schools’. The call for evidence is the first stage in a public consultation process, working with technical experts and key stakeholders, to revise and update the guidance.

Department of Education: Brexit

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding for staff (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have received from EU exit funding.

Anne Milton: The department and its agencies have not received any additional funding for staff working on EU Exit.

Teachers: Recruitment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of Ofsted's rating on the ability of a school to recruit teaching staff.

Nick Gibb: The Department collects and publishes school vacancy data annually via the School Workforce Census[1]. The Department has published analysis linking Ofsted ratings to the mobility and retention of teachers; this showed that of teachers that had moved between schools, 74% moved to schools with the same or better Ofsted rating compared with their previous school. The full analysis is published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/615729/SFR33_2017_Text.pdf. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-workforce.

Special Educational Needs

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will respond to the review entitled Bercow: Ten Years On, on provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs in England; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government responded to the Bercow: Ten Years On review on 23 October 2018. A downloadable PDF copy of the government response can be found here: https://www.bercow10yearson.com/.

Apprentices

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his target to create three million new high-quality apprenticeships by 2020.

Anne Milton: In 2015 we set an ambitious goal of 3 million apprenticeships by 2020. While this remains our ambition, we will not sacrifice quality to achieve this goal.It is important that all apprenticeships are of the highest quality and that they deliver the skills valued by employers to increase productivity and help stimulate growth.

Schools: Finance

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 230859 on Schools: Finance, how many head teachers he has had discussions with in each month from February 2018 to date.

Nick Gibb: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education meets with head teachers of schools to discuss issues including funding regularly. Our records show that on average, from February 2018 to date, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has met nine head teachers each month. This figure includes head teachers that he has met in formal meetings, visits and reference groups, but does not include the many other occasions where my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has met head teachers in this time, including meetings, roundtable discussions, conferences, and events, nor does it reflect the other teachers and school staff he will have met during visits and meetings, so the actual figure is likely to be much higher.

Ministry of Justice

Witnesses: Children

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the pilot for non-court remote link sites for Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 is planned to commence.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 14 March 2019



We are rolling out pre-recorded cross examination, provided for Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, for vulnerable witnesses in Crown Court centres in England and Wales. Our plans for Section 28 involve witnesses giving evidence in court centres, with the exception of Durham, where arrangements are already underway for evidence to be provided from a non-court site at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Once these arrangements are properly embedded, further options, including non-court sites, will be considered for roll-out in the future.

Prisoners: Salford

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Salford residents are in prison.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) men and (b) women from Salford are in prison.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many residents of Salford are in prison by category type.

Rory Stewart: The tables in the accompanying spreadsheet set out the number of male and female prisoners with an origin address in Salford who were in prison as at 31 December 2018 – the most recent date for which such data is available. There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security category, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison. Prisoners held in the adult male prison estate are organised in categories of risk ranging from category A for the highest risk offenders to category D for those posing the lowest risk and suitable for open conditions. Balanced alongside this is the need to separate specific cohorts of prisoners and provide accommodation for those who are yet to be sentenced and/or categorised. Women and Young Offenders are categorised as ‘restricted status’ for those who would pose serious risk to the public, or assessed as suitable for ‘closed’ or ‘open’ conditions depending on their level of risk. HMPPS endeavours to hold prisoners in establishments which keep them as close to home as possible so they can (re)build family ties, secure housing, access health services and look for work. Consideration is also given to other factors such as time to serve, security categorisation, offending behaviour and access to relevant training programmes as per the requirements set out in their sentence plan.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 20.14 KB)

Prisons

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons house different categories of prisoner.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners there are in each category of prisoner.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners reside in each prison by region.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners there are by local authority of origin.

Rory Stewart: The tables in the accompanying spreadsheet set out, nationally, the number of each security category, the number of prisoners by prison region, and the number of prisoners by local authority as at 31 December 2018 – the most recent date for which such data is available.All prisoners are individually assessed as to their risk of escape or abscond, their risk of harm to the public should they escape or abscond and their risk to the good order of the establishment. This ensures categorisation of prisoners to a prison providing an appropriate level of security.The correct categorisation and allocation, balancing security issues and the needs of the prisoner, helps prisoners to use their sentences constructively, to tackle their offending behaviour and to prepare for their eventual release. All prisoners must be placed in the category consistent with the needs of security and control and the need to protect the public. Prisoners of a higher security category would not, as a matter of course, be held in an establishment of a lower category. The only exceptions to this will be where prisoners are re-categorised, and then await a move to a different establishment. Details of the prison estate and the functions of individual establishments can be found online at this link.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 24 KB)

Crimes of Violence: Convictions

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there were for (a) crimes involving the use of knives; (b) crimes involving the use of firearms and (c) all violent crimes in 2018.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms were from a BAME background in 2018.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders under the age of 18 convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 had previously been excluded from school.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders aged 18 to 25 convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 had previously been excluded from school.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 had previously been convicted for violent offences.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 have been identified as suffering with mental health issues.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 have been identified as having substance misuse issues.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 had been unemployed at the time of their offence.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 had previously been convicted for drug-related offences.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 lived in households where one or more parent was unemployed.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 lived in households where one or more parent was employed on contracts with no fixed hours of work.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of offenders convicted of crimes involving the use of (a) knives and (b) firearms in 2018 lived in households identified as below the poverty line.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on crimes which involve the use of knives or firearms but does collect data on offences on possession of a firearm or a bladed article. The number of defendants prosecuted and convicted of offences relating to these offences can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733981/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2017-update.xlsx. Search ‘Offence’ for `10A Possession of a firearm with intent’ and `10D Possession of article with blade or point’.

Community Orders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number was of previous community orders given to an offender sentenced to immediate custody for a new offence of up to six months in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case, including any aggravating and mitigating factors. We are clear that sentencing must match the severity of a crime. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. The highest number of previous community orders given to an offender sentenced to immediate custody for a new offence of up to six months in each of the last three years can be viewed in the table.  



PQ 230688 table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 12.8 KB)

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what main offence each prisoner given a sentence of six months or less was imprisoned in the latest year for which information is available.

Rory Stewart: Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case, including any aggravating and mitigating factors. We are clear that sentencing must match the severity of a crime. However, sentences should also rehabilitate. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. The principal offences for which offenders received a custodial sentence at court of six months or less in 2017 can be found in the table. By far the largest number are for shoplifting. We have listed the offences by the number of persons. We have not reached any conclusions on the restriction for the use of short custodial sentences. But we recognise in any case that such a policy if progressed would need to have some clearly defined exceptions which could exclude some of the offences listed in the attached.



PQ 230689 Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 19.15 KB)

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February to Question 223184 on Sentencing, which of the offences listed his Department has classified as so grave that no other penalty but custody will suffice (a) as a single offence, (b) after multiple previous offences and (c) after multiple previous similar offences.

Rory Stewart: Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case. By law, to impose a custodial sentence, courts are required to be satisfied that the offence committed is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. These factors include whether the offender has previous convictions and whether an early guilty plea was entered, as well as the particular aggravating and mitigating factors present in each case. We are exploring options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions. We recognise there may need to be some closely defined exceptions and have not ruled anything in or out.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on the effect on the sentencing decision of an offender's previous (a) convictions and (b) community orders under his proposals for a presumption against short-term prison sentences.

Rory Stewart: We are considering options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, including looking at a presumption, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions. Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case. By law, to impose a custodial sentence, courts are required to be satisfied that the offence committed is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. These factors include whether the offender has previous convictions and whether an early guilty plea was entered, as well as the particular aggravating and mitigating factors present in each case.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of removing the option of custody for some offences on the (a) level of compliance with community orders and (b) use of suspended sentences.

Rory Stewart: We are considering options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, including looking at their wider effects, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.

Community Orders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number was of recorded breaches of a single community order in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number was of breaches of all previous community orders by an offender with a further breach of an order in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: It is not possible to identify the maximum number of recorded breaches of a single community order, as centrally held information does not identify breaches of community orders nor the number of times an individual order was breached. It is therefore also not possible to link individuals breaching multiple orders over time.

Knives: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average prison sentence was for (a) possession of a blade or point and (b) threatening with a blade or point in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: The information requested can be seen in the table below. Average immediate custody length (in months)1,2 for offences involving possession of, or threatening with, an article with a blade or point resulting in an immediate custodial sentence by offence type, in England and Wales3, annually from 2014 YearOffence typePossessionThreatening20146.511.520156.310.820166.711.420176.610.520187.412.8Source: Ministry of Justice extract of the Police National ComputerNotes:1 Excludes life sentences and where sentence length is unknown. 2 A month has been assumed to be 30 days. 3 England and Wales includes all 43 police force areas and the British Transport Police.  As you will see from the table, knife offences both possession and threatening, receive longer sentences now than they did in the past.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences a (a) male and (b) female offender committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart: Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case, including any aggravating and mitigating factors. We are clear that sentencing must match the severity of a crime. However, sentences should also rehabilitate. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. Data on the highest number of previous offences committed by an offender who received their first immediate custodial sentence can be viewed in the table. This information is broken down by males and females, and covers the period year ending September 2014 – year ending September 2018. 



Table for PQ 230697
(Excel SpreadSheet, 12.7 KB)

Knives: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for possession of a blade or point a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of previous offences for possession of an offensive weapon was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of previous offences for assault was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of previous offences for assaulting a police officer was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of previous offences for sexual assault was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of previous offences relating to the Public Order Act was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for theft was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for robbery was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for burglary was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for benefit fraud was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences relating to drugs was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for criminal damage was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for breach of an anti-social behaviour order or criminal behaviour order was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for fraud was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of total previous offences for vehicle taking was that a person committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence for that offence in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case, including any aggravating and mitigating factors. We are clear that sentencing must match the severity of a crime. However, sentences should also rehabilitate. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. Data on the highest number of previous cautions and convictions for a selected offence type for a person who received their first immediate custodial sentence for the selected offence type, covering the period year ending September 2016 – year ending September 2018, can be viewed in the table. The data provided in the accompanying response table is sourced from MoJ's extract of the Police National Computer. As benefit fraud offences are not prosecuted by the police, we are unable to answer PQ230707. Caution should be exercised in drawing general conclusions from this data. By definition these are the very extremes of the system – the individuals with the very most convictions. Most significantly the 2015 study suggests that giving a short custodial sentence to a prolific offender is more, not less, likely to result in them committing another offence after custody, compared to giving them a community sentence.



230698 - 230707; 231412 - 231416 Response Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 14.19 KB)

Prison Sentences: Females

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many women were given a custodial sentence of under six months in (a) England (b) Wales in each year between 2010 and 2018.

Rory Stewart: The number of women that have been sentenced to up to six months custody in England and Wales in each year since 2010 has been published up to December 2017 and can be found in the table below. Data for 2018 will be published in May 2019. We want to see fewer women serving short custodial sentences as evidence clearly shows that putting them into prison can do more harm than good for society, failing to cut the cycle of reoffending and often exacerbating already difficult family circumstances. That is why we are shifting the focus to managing women in the community where they can access a wider range of support, for example, helping them with substance misuse and mental health problems. Last year the department published our dedicated female offender strategy setting out a commitment to divert the most vulnerable women in the criminal justice system away from custody. As part of that we are by investing £5million in community provision for women.  Number of women serving custodial sentences of under 6 months in England and Wales each year from 2010 – 2017Year20102011201220132014201520162017England48954842459143284699453544994467Wales343320335377382392458456Source:(https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733996/court-outcomes-by-pfa-2017-update.xlsx.)

Reoffenders: Cannabis

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the rate of recidivism for individuals charged with crimes involving the possession of cannabis for each year between 2010 to 2018.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his department has made of the rate of recidivism for individuals charged with crimes involving the production of cannabis for each year between 2010 to 2018.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his department had made of the rate of recidivism for individuals charged with crimes involving the distribution of cannabis for each year between 2010 to 2018.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the rate of recidivism for people convicted of possession of cannabis.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to the rate of recidivism for people convicted of production of cannabis.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the rate of recidivism for people convicted of distribution of cannabis.

Rory Stewart: Please see the relevant tables attached. Note in the data that reoffending is measured using a one-year follow-up period and a further six month waiting period. Rates are, therefore, only available for cohorts up until January to March 2017.For those whose offences are linked to cannabis usage, NHS England and Local Health Boards in Wales, who are responsible for commissioning substance misuse services in prisons, offer a broad range of services to address substance misuse. It is for health providers to decide the appropriate treatment on a case by case basis.Further, for prisons in England the updated April 2018 NHS England Substance Misuse Service Specification for prisons sets out evidence-based services that should be commissioned to address the health and justice needs of prisoners, including the prevention of re-offending.Those convicted of possession, production or supply of cannabis may also be suitable for an accredited offending behaviour programme or similar intervention which addresses needs related to an individual’s offending, for example attitudes, thinking and behaviour.In addition, we are addressing some of the barriers to rehabilitation through the Education and Employment strategy we published last May. For example, we are giving governors local power and control, enabling them to commission education provision that leads to work; through the New Futures Network (NFN), we are engaging with employers to take on ex-prisoners; and we have consulted on proposals to increase the opportunities available to prisoners to gain experience in real workplaces through Release On Temporary Licence.



Table for 230904 - 230906
(Excel SpreadSheet, 17.08 KB)

Reoffenders: Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which offences had been committed by (a) male and (b) female offenders sentenced to immediate custody of up to six months who had not received a previous community order in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016 and (iii) 2017.

Rory Stewart: Sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, who take into account all circumstances of the case, including any aggravating and mitigating factors. We are clear that sentencing must match the severity of a crime. However, sentences should also rehabilitate. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community. The offences which have been committed by (a) male and (b) female offenders sentenced to immediate custody of up to six months who had not received a previous community order, annually from the year ending September 2015, can be viewed in the table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.19 KB)

Prison Officers: Training

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison staff have received additional training to enable them to provide mentoring support to new prison officers in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: Information for mentoring across the whole estate is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. As part of the 10 prisons project around 60 experienced officers were selected to take up the coaching roles to form Standards Coaching Teams. This required the officers to complete a two-week training course. These officers will support new recruits and ensure good practice is delivered consistently across the 10 jails. The team will provide advice and encouragement to inexperienced officers to build their confidence, particularly in their relationships with prisoners. The team is also supporting all staff to get the basics right and meet consistently high standards in routine tasks such as cell checks.

Prison Officers: Labour Turnover

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent initiatives he has introduced to reduce the attrition rate of prison officers.

Rory Stewart: We want prison officers to stay and progress their careers. We’ve improved induction processes to ease transition into the job, provide care and support for our staff and offer additional training. These measures are part of the work we are doing directly with Governors to address local issues and ensure experienced staff and new recruits remain in the service.HMPPS heavily invests in a comprehensive range of Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) interventions which help staff feel valued and supported. The current EAP has been significantly enhanced and now includes access to specialist Trauma Support and a dedicated manager’s helpline.

Prisoners: Education

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders were engaged in learning and skills in prisons in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the prison population was engaged in offender learning and skills in each of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders were engaged in learning that now falls outside of core prison education provision in each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart: Data on the participation and achievement of prison learners under the Offender Learning and Skills contracts is published by the Department for Education. It can be found at the following link and covers the last 8 academic years: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/761349/201718_Nov_MAIN_OLASS_Particpation_FINALv1.xlsx. We do not hold data on the proportion of the prison population that engages in offender learning and skills. The Department for Education publishes data on the participation and achievement of prisoners in learning: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-education-and-training. However, it does not include comparison to the entire population, this prison population data is published separately by the Ministry of Justice: www.gov.uk/government/collections/prisons-and-probation-statistics#prison-population-figures. The concept of a core common curriculum for prison education was written into the specifications for the new prison education framework contracts, which commence on 1 April. For the 2015/16 academic year, the Department for Education published data regarding prison education by subject area, it can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/572740/201516-OLASS-participation-aims-by-awarding-body-aim-title-and-level-v1_4.xlsx Prisons must provide the opportunity for prisoners to rehabilitate, which will ultimately reduce reoffending. Our ground-breaking Education and Employment strategy sets out how we will transform our approach to ensure prisoners develop the skills they need to secure employment on release. We are also giving governors more control over their budget, including the power to choose providers and deliver learning that will best support their prisoners.

Department for International Trade

Foreign Investment in UK

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of international investment in the UK.

Graham Stuart: The UK retains the top position in Europe across, FDI projects, new jobs and greenfield capital expenditure. The Department annually publishes its FDI performance as Official Statistics and has published one of the most comprehensive analyses of the economic impact of FDI in the world. The links to each publication are as follows:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/department-for-international-trade-inward-investment-results-2017-to-2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimating-the-economic-impact-of-fdi-to-support-dits-promotion-strategy-analytical-report

Food: USA

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on food imports from the US of the United States-European Union Negotiations: Summary of Specific Negotiating Objectives, published by the Office of the United States Trade representative in February 2019.

George Hollingbery: The US published its negotiating objectives for the EU in January 2019. These take a similar form to their objectives for other trade partners. As with all international negotiations, the publication of these objectives marks the beginning of the negotiating process and not the end.

Overseas Trade

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what sectors he has identified as most at risk in the event that the UK does not replicate existing EU trade agreements before the UK leaves the EU.

George Hollingbery: The Government is keenly aware of the importance of our existing trade agreements to individual businesses and sectors across the UK. For example, the trade continuity agreement with the Faroe Islands is of particular interest to UK processing sector, with almost £200 million worth of fish and crustaceans brought into the UK from the Faroe Islands in 2017. The agreement will allow imports to continue tariff-free and enable businesses to trade as freely as they do now. Similarly, the UK-Swiss trade continuity agreement means the British vehicles sector could avoid up to £8 million a year in tariff charges on their exports that would apply if the agreement wasn’t in place. This is why we are committed to replicating the effects of these agreements as far as possible so that businesses have certainty and stability as we leave the European Union. We are preparing for all eventualities.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Homelessness: Veterans

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of homeless veterans in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 2010.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why this summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. Already, this has provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff– this means there are more people in warm beds tonight as direct result of government funding. In all, the Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not collect information on the number of homeless veterans in Yorkshire and Humber.

Birds: Conservation

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has given to planning authorities on the use of nets by developers to prevent birds nesting in trees.

Kit Malthouse: Planning practice guidance is available on the Natural Environment and there is standing advice for local planning authorities to assess the impacts of development on wild birds . No planning guidance has been issued on the use of nets by developers to prevent birds nesting in trees.

Social Services: Children

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government,  what the change was in central government funding for local authority children’s services between 1 April 2015 and 1 April 2018.

Rishi Sunak: Funding for local government services, including children’s services, is set at Spending Review and made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement. This funding is largely unringfenced, enabling local authorities to target spending according to local needs. Local authorities used this flexibility to increase spending on children and young people’s services from £9 billion in 2015-16 to around £9.4 billion in 2017-18.

Social Services: Children

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the sustainability of local authority children’s services budgets.

Rishi Sunak: Local government core funding is unringfenced, allowing councils to set their own service budgets according to local priorities. The 2019-20 settlement confirmed that Core Spending Power is forecast to increase from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20. This is a cash-increase of 2.8 per cent and a real-terms increase in resources available to local authorities. This recognises both the growing pressure on local government’s services and higher-than-expected inflation levels. This year’s Spending Review will determine funding for local government from 2020-21 onwards.

Social Services: Children

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have made representations to his Department on the sustainability of the provision of children’s services.

Rishi Sunak: As the Minister for Local Government, I regularly hear from councils across the country to discuss the delivery of services, including children’s services. I also regularly meet my counterpart in the Department for Education to discuss a range of issues, including the delivery of children’s services.Long-term funding for local government services, including children’s services, will be considered at this year’s Spending Review. To help ensure decisions are based on the best available evidence, the Government is working closely with local authorities and the wider sector to build the evidence base and help develop a thorough understanding of children’s services costs and pressures.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of new homes were built by (a) local authorities, and (b) social landlords and housing associations in each of the last eight years.

Kit Malthouse: Comprehensive estimates of all affordable housing delivered as a proportion of the total number of new net additions to the housing stock in England, since 2006-07 to 2017-18 are published in the Department’s Affordable Housing Supply Statistical Release in Chart 2 at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/affordable-housing-supply-in-england-2017-to-2018.The figures for the total number of new homes built are published in live table 120. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-net-supply-of-housing.A breakdown of the affordable housing delivered, identifying the local authority and housing association new build in each of the last three years, is available in live table 1000C NB. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 229147 on Buildings: Insulation, whether Department has consulted the (a) Fire Protection Association and (b) Association of British Insurers on the build-up of the test.

Kit Malthouse: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 229147 on Buildings: Insulation, how many fire barriers will be used in that test.

Kit Malthouse: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Affordable Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the time period is for his target to build 250,000 affordable homes through the Affordable Homes Programme.

James Brokenshire: The time period for the current Affordable Homes Programme to deliver 250,000 homes is by March 2022.

Affordable Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the total grant investment for affordable housing was by Homes England and its predecessor organisations in each financial year for which data is available.

James Brokenshire: Details of funding on affordable housing is published in the Homes England or Homes and Communities Agency annual report.   These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=annual+report&publication_filter_option=all&topics%5B%5D=all&departments%5B%5D=homes-and-communities-agency&official_document_status=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_date=&commit=Refresh+results

Housing: Students

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 230845 on Housing: Students, how many of the 62 high rise student accommodation buildings which have Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) are (a) university-owned and (b) privately owned; in which local authority areas they are located; and if he will list the three buildings for which no remediation plan is currently underway or being developed.

Kit Malthouse: All of the 62 high-rise student accommodation buildings identified with Aluminium Composite Material cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations are privately owned. Of these 28 have already been remediated and the remaining 34 are yet to be remediated.Six of the 62 private sector high-rise student accommodation buildings identified are owned by universities / further education institutes.MHCLG does not publish information which enables buildings to be identified as this could potentially pose a risk to the safety of residents. Hence, local authority areas or addresses are withheld.

Ministry of Defence

Weeton Barracks

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for developing Weeton Barracks into HQ North West as part of the 2016 Strategic Defence Estate Review.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 May 2018 to Question 146209.



Weeton Barracks
(Word Document, 27.82 KB)

Ministry of Defence: Capita

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his department has made of the benefit to the public purse of the outsourcing deal with Capita for military recruiting and associated IT systems.

Mark Lancaster: The Army expect the Recruitment Partnering Project to deliver around £180 million of benefits over the ten-year period of the contract.

Health Services: Veterans

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on implementing the recommendations in relation to health from Lord Ashcroft's Veterans' Transition Review published in February 2014.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: All the significant recommendations from Lord Ashcroft’s Veterans’ Transition Review have been implemented and are now routine business for the Ministry of Defence (MOD). In May 2018, Lord Ashcroft stepped down as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Veterans’ Transition. In his letter to the Prime Minister, he said that while work remains to be done, “I am pleased with the many practical changes that have been brought about as a result of the Transition Review, and that the whole issue of veterans’ transition now has a higher profile in government and beyond.” The full text of Lord Ashcroft’s letter to the Prime Minister, along with a copy of the Review, follow-up reports and associated documents can be found at the following address:http://www.veteranstransition.co.uk/ This Government is not complacent, and we are working to further support our military veterans. In November 2018 the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments published an evidence-based ‘Strategy for our veterans’ which will work to ensure veterans’ issues are considered, coordinated and delivered across the UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategy-for-our-veterans). This builds on existing progress, including in health issues where specific care pathways for veterans have been developed around mental health and prosthetic aftercare. As part of the Strategy we are also this year introducing a holistic transition policy. Transition support currently provided by the MOD largely focuses on employment support, delivered by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which supports Service leavers in their transition from military to civilian life through a range of career and employment support services including skills development workshops, seminars, resettlement training advice, vocational training courses, career consultancy, one-to-one guidance and job finding support.  However, transition is far wider than finding employment, and relates to the significant life changing processes which affect both the Service person and their immediate family through the entire time they are within or connected to the Armed Forces, through to discharge and beyond, which need to be appropriately addressed to ensure successful transition into civilian life.  This will include transition to civilian health care.

Ministry of Defence: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will publish the full list of CSSF projects his Department is involved in.

Mark Lancaster: Summaries of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund programmes are published by the NSS Joint Fund Unit at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-cssfThis sets out details of those projects delivered by the Ministry of Defence.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has received advice from the Information Commissioner on whether implicit consent in universal credit would violate data protection laws.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



DWP has been in correspondence with the Information Commissioner to clarify our approach to consent within Universal Credit. This does not amount to formal advice on the narrower point of whether implicit consent in Universal Credit would violate the Data Protection Act, but the Department continues to review its policy on consent and how it interacts with data protection laws. The DWP policy to require explicit consent in most cases is to give an extra layer of security and protect claimants from people seeking to impersonate genuine advisers. We have agreed to explore options for improving the process of explicit consent in collaboration with the Social Security Advisory Committee to consider how current processes could be enhanced and publish a report on our joint conclusions.

Universal Credit: Yorkshire and the Humber

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants took advance payments during the five-week waiting period for their first universal credit payment in (a) October, (b) November and (c) December 2018 in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Alok Sharma: New Claim and Benefit Transfer Advances are available to support claimants until their first Universal Credit payment. The table below gives the number of these advances paid in Yorkshire and the Humber for the months requested. The Universal Credit caseload continued to increase in 2018 as the number of offices delivering Full Service increased. Subject to some fluctuation, the rate of advance take-up has been broadly consistent, at around 60%.  MonthNumber of Paid New Claims, NationallyNumber of New Claim and Benefit Transfer AdvancesProportion of New Claim and Benefit Transfer AdvancesOct-18129,1008,01062%Nov-18132,2009,40071%Dec-18149,2009,35063%  NotesThe number of New Claim and Benefit Transfer advances is rounded to the nearest 10Paid New Claims are rounded to the nearest 100Proportions are rounded to the nearest per centThe data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.

Universal Credit

Peter Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has in place for people to claim legacy benefits who have not been given access to universal credit in (a) full and (b) live service areas.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit is now fully rolled out to all jobcentres as of December 2018. For the extremely small number of people who need to make a new claim to legacy benefits in Great Britain, the Department provides support through a dedicated DWP telephony line to assist with new claims to legacy benefits. Should a claimant require face-to-face contact, advice and support continues to be available in local Jobcentres to assist claimants to access their entitlements

Employment: Autism

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will made an assessment of trends in the level of (a) bullying and (b) harassment of people with autism in the workplace.

Justin Tomlinson: We currently have no plans to assess trends in bullying and harassment in the workplace of people with autism. However, we are committed to supporting people with disabilities or health conditions, including those with autism, to manage issues they may face in employment by offering both them and their employers appropriate support. For example: Access to Work has put in place a Hidden Impairment Specialist Team (HIST) that aims to offer advice and guidance to help employers support employees with conditions such as autism, Learning Disability and/or Mental Health conditions. HIST also offers eligible people an assessment to find out their needs at work and help to develop a support plan. Through the Disability Confident scheme, DWP is engaging with employers and helping to promote the skills, talents and abilities of disabled people, including those with autism and associated conditions. Disability Confident offers advice and support to help employers feel more confident about employing disabled people.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of personal independence payment tribunal cases were attended by (a) presenting officers and (b) departmental staff in each year for which information is available.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals cleared at an oral hearing and the number where a Presenting Officer (PO) attended are shown in the table below. Financial year of hearingTotalPresenting Officer attendedNumber%2016/1761,4306,71011%2017/1871,39019,87028%April to December 201853,96010,04019%  Apart from the PO, the only other departmental staff who are likely to attend would be either trainee POs or those whose work or role within the department is likely to benefit from seeing how tribunal hearings are conducted. Neither play any part in the proceedings on the day. Information on the number of other departmental staff attending tribunal hearings is not held centrally.In 2016 DWP took the decision to expand its number of POs. The recruitment engaged additional POs from February 2017 with the last cohort of expansion programme being completed in October 2017.The reduction in oral hearings attended by POs in recent months is due to a number of factors. This includes significant training and upskilling of POs affecting the number of hearings attended, and normal attrition rates leading to a reduction in the number of Presenting Officers in post. We expect that First-tier Tribunal (FtT) hearings attended by POs will increase once training and current recruitment activity has been completed and will be monitoring this regularly.Data has been rounded to the nearest 10.Great Britain only.Appeals may have more than one hearing, including where hearings are adjourned. The figures in the table above only include oral hearings where the appeal was cleared. They also exclude paper hearings.This data is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.

Employment and Support Allowance

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which budget is being used to rectify underpayments of employment and support allowance is being drawn.

Justin Tomlinson: The cost of administrative activity is drawn from the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit budget and payment of arrears from the Resource Annually Managed Expenditure budget.

Down's Syndrome

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research her Department has conducted on life for people with Down's Syndrome in the 21st century.

Justin Tomlinson: This department undertakes research into people’s experience of support into work schemes, including the experiences of disabled people. The Department has not conducted or commissioned research on life experiences for people with Down’s Syndrome in the 21st Century. Equal rights for disabled people, including people with Down’s Syndrome, are provided for under the reasonable adjustments provisions in the Equality Act and the Public Sector Equality duty. Each Government Department and public authority is under a duty to make adequate provision for disabled people including people with Down’s Syndrome. Disability in the UK is mainstreamed. This means that every department is ultimately responsible for considering disability in the development and implementation of its policies and services.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, reference to the Written Statement of 5 March 2019, Health and Disability Announcement, HCWS1376, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that its new single digital platform is accessible to ill and disabled people.

Justin Tomlinson: For many of our customers, digital offers a more accessible communication channel and is something that our stakeholders have been asking for us to introduce. We recognise the challenges for customers who cannot access our online services despite making it accessibility compliant. We will have a choice of other channels available including assisted digital where customers can ask for assistance from friends, family or other organisations, or by contacting DWP by phone or face to face.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement, of 5 March 2019, HLWS1343, how many ill and disabled people will be involved in her Department’s test on sanctions and conditionality; and what steps her Department plans to take in response to the conclusions of that test.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department is finalising the design of the Proof of Concept and seeking input from key representatives from the sector. It is a small scale test which will be run in 2-4 jobcentres. We will use the Proof of Concept to test whether we can increase engagement with claimants through Work Coaches starting at no mandatory requirements and then tailoring conditionality up based on an individual’s circumstances.

Disability: Cost of Living

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report entitled the Disability Price Tag 2019, published by Scope in February 2019, what steps she plans to take to made additional funding available to cover potential extra costs incurred by disabled people; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report entitled the Disability Price Tag 2019, published by Scope in February 2019, what steps she is taking to ensure that disabled people can afford the same standard of living as non-disabled people.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department provides a range of benefits to support people with long term health conditions and disabilities, including benefits which contribute towards the extra costs they may face. Benefit provision is in addition to the wide range of additional support people with health conditions and disabilities may receive including from Local Authorities or the National Health Service. Since 2010, spending on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions has increased by £8.4 billion (18%) in real terms. This year it will be over £54 billion, and next year it will rise to over £55 billion – over 2.5 per cent of GDP and 6 per cent of Government spending. And since 2010 spending on extra-costs disability benefits, which have been increased by inflation and have been protected from the benefits freeze, has increased by £5 billion (25%) in real terms. As the Secretary of State recently announced, we also plan to commission independent research to understand the needs of disabled people and how health and disability benefits can better support them.

Universal Credit: Disability

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report entitled the Disability Price Tag 2019, published by Scope in February 2019, what steps she is taking to ensure that families with disabled children moving on to universal credit receive the same financial support that they did under the legacy benefits system.

Justin Tomlinson: Currently people are only moving to Universal Credit from existing benefits because they have had a change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a different existing benefit. It has always been the case that in such circumstances these new claims would be assessed based upon their new circumstances and under the rules of the new benefit with no recourse to any previous levels of entitlement. Those who move to Universal Credit without a change in circumstance will be eligible for Transitional Protection at the point that they move across.

Access to Work Programme

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what deadline is to implement the new online system to submit Access to Work signed claim forms with invoices.

Justin Tomlinson: Access to Work is in the process of transforming its digital processes, from application through to payment. We do not yet have a timetable for completion of this work. We are currently evaluating a range of digital options for Access to Work claim form and receipt/invoice submissions and we will be able to develop delivery timetables for that aspect of the transformation once this analysis has been completed.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth, of 6 March 2019, Official Report, column 969, what the terms of reference will be for the review into the adequacy of social security support for disabled people; and who will be involved in that review.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department has listened to the concerns and views of a wide range of organisations and individuals and we have been working to deliver real improvements, and we will continue to do so. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced on 5th March that the Department would be commissioning a new piece of research to better understand disabled claimants’ experiences of the benefit system, and how to meet their needs.This research will be delivered by external research contractors who have expertise in this area and involve in-depth interviews with claimants. We will look to commission this work later this year, with a view to publishing next year. As with all externally commissioned DWP social research, the findings will be published and available on the gov.uk website.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth, of 6 March 2019, Official Report, column 969, what plans she has to change the culture of her Department.

Justin Tomlinson: As set out in the Secretary of State’s speech, the Department is committed to continue helping disabled people to achieve their potential and lead positive flourishing lives We have listened to, and acted on a number of concerns raised by our customers and stakeholders, which includes stopping those who have been awarded the highest level of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), whose needs are unlikely to decrease, now receive an ongoing award – with only a light touch review a decade later and SPA announcement. We have also listened to the feedback from claimants about their experience of assessments which is why we are now trialling the video recording of PIP assessments. However, there is more that we need to do, which is why we have announced it is our ambition to go further, to listen and reform effectively to deliver policies, strategies and structures that are co-produced with disabled people.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the universal credit system has access to information provided to the Government’s Tell Us Once system for registering births and deaths; and if she will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: The Government’s Tell Us Once service allows people to report a birth or death to most Government Departments in one go, eliminating the need to contact several different Departments, multiple times, to notify them of a change of circumstance. If the change affects a Universal Credit claim, the case manager of the relevant case is informed, who will follow the appropriate process.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many mandatory reconsiderations of employment and support allowance appeals have been successful in each of the last three years.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many reconsiderations of employment and support allowance decisions occurred after her Department had been notified that an appeal had been lodged in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: An appeal can only be made against a decision which has gone through the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) process. In law it is not possible to revise a tribunal decision. Statistics on the number of MRs for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) where the initial decision was revised are published in Table 14 of the quarterly statistical publication “ESA: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments including mandatory reconsiderations and appeals: March 2019”, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019 Information on the number of ESA appeals that have been lapsed (which is where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal) is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Disability: Cost of Living

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Scope report entitled Disability Price Tag 2019, what steps she is taking to reduce the extra costs faced by disabled people.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department provides a range of benefits to reduce the financial pressure on disabled people and those with long term health conditions. Local Authorities and the National Health Service provide a wide range of additional services. Since 2010, spending on extra-costs disability benefits has increased by £5billion in real terms. These benefits have been increased with inflation and were protected from the benefit freeze. In addition, we are working closely with private industry to better recognise the needs of disabled people and ensure they are fully included in society. Initiatives led by the Department, such as Sector Champions, and those led by the private sector and supported by the Department, such as Purple Tuesday, aim to work with businesses to recognise the benefits of ensuring they are accessible and inclusive for disabled people. As I have recently announced, we plan to commission independent research to better understand the needs of disabled people and how health and disability benefits can better support them.

Independent Case Examiner: Complaints

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the current waiting time is from the submission of a complaint to the office of the Independent Case Examiner to the allocation of the case to an Investigation Case Manager; and what steps she is taking to reduce that time.

Justin Tomlinson: As at 15 March 2019, the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) Office was allocating cases to Investigation Case Managers that were accepted for investigation on the following dates: DWP Pension, Disability and Working Age benefits - 29 November 2017Child Maintenance Group - 5 December 2017Contracted Provision - 8 January 2018 The ICE Office resources are reviewed on an annual basis and the Office received funding for thirteen additional staff in the current financial year (2018/2019). Productivity within the ICE Office has increased during the current reporting year, having cleared 1,139 complaints between March 2018 and February 2019, compared to 868 in the same period the previous year.

Children: Maintenance

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the gross weekly income thresholds for each child maintenance rate of pay were last updated.

Justin Tomlinson: The Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012 introduced a new gross weekly income threshold for child maintenance, for those earning between £800 and £3000 a week.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dairy Farming

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what legislative steps he plans to take to introduce compulsory milk contracts between producers and purchasers.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings, Sir John Hayes, on 26 February 2019, PQ 222814.

Fishing Gear: Labelling

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require commercial fishing enterprises to carry identification marks on their (a) nets, (b) gear and (c) ancillary equipment in UK waters.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The control and enforcement of fisheries legislation in UK waters is a devolved matter and each Devolved Administration is responsible for control and enforcement in their waters. Legislation (Council Regulation (EC) No. 1224/2009) is in place that requires masters of a fishing vessel using passive gear or beam trawls to mark their fishing gear. Masters must mark certain nets, lines, pots and beam trawls, with the port letter and number of their vessel. Marker buoys must also be attached. This will make sure all vessels are able to clearly identify fishing gear and prevent instances of gear conflict. The Marine Management Organisation has been involved with some joint working (with Maritime and Coastguard Agency, National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation and Royal Yachting Association) on reviewing marking of fishing gear for safety at sea purposes. For all types of fishing gear, masters of a fishing vessel must attempt to retrieve any lost gear. If they are unable to do so they must notify the UK fisheries authorities.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many bovine tuberculosis (a) new herd incidents and (b) officially free status withdrawn cases there were in the (i) Gloucestershire 01, (ii) Somerset 02 and (iii) Dorset 03 badger cull areas in each calendar year from 2010 to 2018.

Mr Robert Goodwill: A report providing analysis of TB incidence in cattle for the licensed badger control areas of Gloucestershire and Somerset, which began in 2013, and Dorset, which began in 2015, has been published. It also covers the first year of badger control operations in a further seven areas. The report provides information on Officially TB Free Withdrawn incidents in the three years prior to badger control operations in the three areas, and the number of herds in each area at the start of badger control operations. The data is published on the below link and will be updated in due course. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-incidence-of-tb-in-cattle-in-licenced-badger-control-areas-in-2013-to-2017

Food: USA

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on American food standards in relation to a UK-US trade deal after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government has been clear that any future trade agreements must work for consumers, farmers, and businesses in the UK. We will maintain our standards on food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection as part of any future trade deals.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many herds were tested for bovine tuberculosis in the badger cull areas of (a) Gloucestershire area 01, (b) Somerset area 02 and (c) Dorset area 03 in each of the calendar years from 2010 to 2018.

Mr Robert Goodwill: A report providing analysis of TB incidence in cattle for the licensed badger control areas of Gloucestershire and Somerset, which began in 2013, and Dorset, which began in 2015, has been published. This report includes the number of herds in each of the cull areas. These herds have remained in an annual testing area since 2010, which means they are required to be skin tested each year. Any herd with overdue testing will have been put under movement restrictions until tested with negative results. Some herds will have been tested more than once a year if they have had their official TB-free status suspended or withdrawn, and any licenced finishing units may be exempt from skin testing but subject to slaughterhouse surveillance. The data is published in the below link and will be updated in due course. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-incidence-of-tb-in-cattle-in-licenced-badger-control-areas-in-2013-to-2017

Marine Protected Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many square kilometres of marine protected areas there were in (a) the UK and (b) UK overseas territories in each year for which data is available.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: a) Marine Protected Areas in the UK: YearArea (km2)201273,890201382,9522014143,4972015143,6512016165,2522017207,4772018209,185 b) Marine Protected Areas in UK overseas territories: UK OTMPA (km2)Date of designationBritish Antarctic Territory South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf MPA94,0002009British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos)640,0002010South Georgia and Sandwich Islands1,240,0002012; enhanced in 2013 & 2018Pitcairn Islands840,0002016St Helena445,0002016TOTAL 3,259,000  In addition to these Marine Protected Areas, as announced in the Spring Statement, the UK Government is backing an Ascension Island bid to protect 100% of its offshore waters. Ascension Island plans to designate over 445,00km2 of its waters as a fully protected no-take Marine Protected Area. Tristan da Cunha has committed to designating a comprehensive marine protection regime across its 750,000km2 maritime zone by 2020.

Home Office

Members: Correspondence

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to reply to the letter of the 29 June 2018 from the hon. Member for Delyn on the Offensive Weapons Bill.

Caroline Nokes: I replied to the Rt Hon Member on 12 March 2019.

Police: Privacy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policing and security policies of the ECHR decision in Catt v UK Government.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government is currently in discussions with police and other stakeholders to fully assess the implications of the recent judgment.

Cannabis: Prosecutions

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were charged with possession of cannabis in each year since 2010.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of individuals charged with crimes involving the production of cannabis for each year between 2010 to 2018.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his department has made of the number of individuals charged with crimes involving the distribution of cannabis for each year between 2010 to 2018.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office routinely publishes information on charges and other resolutions, such as cannabis warnings, of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. Offences involving the production and distribution of cannabis are subsumed within the general category of “Trafficking in controlled drugs” and data on the number of such offences that have resulted in a charge or summons between 2010 and 2018 are available in the Crime Outcomes open data tables at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables .The same tables provide data on the number of possession of cannabis offences that have resulted in a charge or summons.

Visas: New Businesses

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 7 March 2019 on Immigration Rules, HCWS1388, what criteria his Department plans to use to determine suitability for the category of start-up visa.

Caroline Nokes: Endorsements for Start-up visas will be based on whether applicants’ business ideas are innovative, viable and scalable. This assessment will be carried out by approved endorsing bodies, rather than by the Home Office.Applicants will also need to prove their English language ability, have sufficient maintenance funds for themselves and any dependants and satisfy the standard checks which apply across the immigration system.

Visas: New Businesses

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Statement of 7 March 2019 on Immigration Rules given by the Minister for Immigration on 7 March 2019, HCWS1388, what criteria his Department plans to use to determine the suitability for (a) an extension of an existing visa and (b) accelerated settlement.

Caroline Nokes: Extensions and settlement in the Innovator category will be based on further assessment by an approved endorsing bodyEndorsement for extension applications will assess whether applicants have made significant achievements against their business plans, and whether their businesses are trading. Applicants whose original business ideas do not succeed may re-apply, with a new business idea, for endorsement under the criteria for initial applicationsEndorsements for settlement applications will be made against a range of criteria – covering investment, innovation, business growth and job creation – which applicants may choose from in order to qualify for settlement. Applicants may apply for accelerated settlement as soon as their businesses satisfy at least two of these criteria, providing they have spent at least three years in the category.

South Wales Police: Training

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding he has allocated for police training to South Wales Police in 2019.

Mr Nick Hurd: The police funding settlement for 2019/20 increases total funding for policing by around £970 million, including additional pensions funding and in-come from council tax. Funding for South Wales Police will increase by around £19.1 million including council tax precept. The amount of funding allocated to specific areas such as training is a decision for chief officers and Police and Crime Commissioners to take locally.

Airguns: Reviews

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to publish its response to the review into air weapons which was launched on 10 October 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government fully understands the interest that Members of Parliament and others have in the outcomes of the Home Office review of the regulation of air weapons. It remains our intention to set these out as soon as we can.

Refugees: Families

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that people arriving in the UK on a refugee family reunion visa receive a Biometric Residence Permit that contains their National Insurance number.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions are currently developing plans for all migrants who are eligible for a National Insurance number, including those on a refugee family reunion visa, to have this printed on their Biometric Residence Permit as a matter of course.

Immigrants: Detainees

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the proportion of migrant detainees who were trafficked to the UK in each of the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office record the number of all individuals referred to the Na-tional Referral Mechanism (NRM) and this information is published Quarterly by the National Crime Agency. This information does not distinguish between those detained under immigration powers and those living in the community. The reason for this is two-fold, firstly because the NRM referral is not an immigration route by which individuals should regularise their stay in the United Kingdom and, secondly, because a person’s status in immigration detention is not permanent and can change.Data taken from the NRM would not accurately reflect the numbers of those who had been trafficked into the UK, as a number only get exploited once they have arrived, and their journey to the UK can be entirely unconnected to the trafficking. Further a number may be victims of trafficking, but it relates to events in a third country and is not necessarily connected to their reasons for coming to the UK.Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2019 to Question 226712 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what steps his Department is taking to gather evidence for its review into how to criminalise the act of trespassing when setting up an unauthorised encampment; and what engagement is taking place between officials of his Department and members of the Gypsy and Traveller communities.

Mr Nick Hurd: The review has sought evidence from a range of relevant stakeholders which includes Government departments, police forces, local authorities and representative groups of Gypsy and Traveller Communities.

Asylum: Gender Recognition

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who have described themselves as transgender when seeking asylum in the UK have been refused asylum since 2015.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who described themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual when seeking asylum in the UK have been refused asylum on the grounds that there is not enough evidence to prove that they are gay, lesbian or bisexual since 2015.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office remains committed to publishing information on the number of people claiming asylum on the basis of sexual orientationOn 29 November 2018, the Home Office published experimental statistics on Asylum claims made on the basis of sexual orientation, covering the pe-riod 2015 to 2017. These experimental statistics provide data on asylum claims from 2015-2017, by year of application, initial decision, appeal receipt, or appeal decisionData on the number of asylum seekers refused asylum on the basis of sexual orientation can be found in tabs SOC_00 in the experimental statis-tics in the link provided below: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-december-2018-data-tables

Asylum: LGBT People

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) gay, lesbian or bisexual and (b) transgender asylum seekers have been deported from the UK since 2015.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not hold central records of how many (a) gay, lesbian or bisexual and (b) transgender asylum seekers have been deported from the UK since 2015.Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Undocumented Migrants

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to reduce illegal immigration since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: The Government is committed to reducing illegal immigration. Since 2010 we have completely reformed the immigration system, cutting abuse whilst focusing on attracting the brightest and the best.We are tackling illegal immigration by making it harder for those who do not qualify under the Immigration Rules to live here illegally, including through measures introduced in the Immigration Acts 2014 and 2016. We have taken action against over 1,000 colleges to prevent the admission of non-genuine students into the country. We continue to take enforcement action against employers who employ illegal workers; applying civil penalties, intervening with licensing authorities to withdraw licences, and closing their business premises where necessary.In addition, we have pursued an ambitious programme of reform at the border, included investment in new technology in the United Kingdom and at our juxtaposed controls to keep this country safe, with Border Force transforming its working practices, command and control and leadership. These reforms are working and border security has been enhanced.

Immigration: Impact Assessments

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will place in the Library all impact assessments his Department has made of changes to the immigration system since 2010.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of the changes to the immigration system that increased immigration since 2010.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of the changes to the immigration system that reduced net immigration since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: Impact Assessments associated with legislation or rules changes are publicly available on gov.uk.We keep all immigration policies under regular review including the impact that they are having on net migration.The introduction of major immigration policies are accompanied by published impact assessments where appropriate, and the Government also commissions the Migration Advisory Committee to advise on immigration policy. Recent changes proposed in the Immigration White Paper, ‘The UK’s future skills-based immigration system,’ were accompanied by an analytical assessment which was published as part of the paper.

Immigration: English Language

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to review the UK Visas and Immigration guidelines on English language testing for English-speaking Commonwealth countries.

Caroline Nokes: There are a number of ways individuals seeking to come to the UK for work study, or to join family can prove their level of English. National of the following countries do not need to prove their level of English:• Antigua and Barbuda• Australia• the Bahamas• Barbados• Belize• Canada• Dominica• Grenada• Guyana• Jamaica• New Zealand• St Kitts and Nevis• St Lucia• St Vincent and the Grenadines• Trinidad and Tobago• USAAlternatively, individuals who have obtained a degree which is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s or master’s degree or a PhD which was taught or researched in English to a required level would also be considered to have proved their level of English. Under the family Immigration Rules, a person is exempt from proving their level of English if the applicant is over the age of 65 at the time of making the application or the person has a disability – a physical or mental condition – or there are exceptional circumstances which prevent them from meeting the requirement. The Government keeps all of its guidelines under regular review.

Police: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Metropolitan Police on the effect on police performance of the tri-borough merger in Havering.

Mr Nick Hurd: Decisions on the operational structures of police forces are taken at a local level by Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), or Mayors with PCC functions.The Government believes that the police should be accountable to the communities they serve. Chief officers, PCCs and Mayors are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge, experience and local democratic mandate.

Firearms: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of incidents involving firearms in the London Borough of Havering in the last five years.

Mr Nick Hurd: Information about the number of firearms offences in each London Borough is not held centrally by the Home OfficeInformation about the number of incidents involving armed burglary is not available but the number of offences of aggravated burglary (which includes offences where a burglar enters and at the time has with him a firearm, imitation firearm, weapon of offence, or any explosive) is available. Published data for the Havering Community Safety Partnership area can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

Immigration: EU Nationals

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how non-UK EU nationals will be able to inform his Department online about changes to passports or national identity cards after the UK has left the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office has recently launched a new Update my Details service to make it easy for customers to keep their information up to date. The service currently enables EU Settlement Scheme applicants to change their email address and telephone number through an entirely online process. Name and ID Document updates currently require applicants to post their ID Document to the Home Office as supporting evidence and to protect against identi-ty fraud, however we are continuing to deliver improvements to make these processes as user friendly as possible by making them entirely online.The EU Settlement Scheme will make it easy for EU citizens who want to stay in the UK to get the UK immigration status they need. We have conducted two successful private test phases and have recently commenced the wider public roll-out to all resident EU citizens with a valid passport. This is still a test phase, which we are conducting so that we can continue to develop and improve the system before it fully launches on 30 March, and we are grateful to everyone who has taken part so far.Applicants who have been granted Settled or Pre-Settled status can view and share their status via the online Status service using the ID Document Num-ber that they used in their application, alongside some user authentication. Users are encouraged to notify the Home Office when they acquire a new ID Document which will then enable them to view and share their online status using the new document. Alternatively, applicants can continue to access their status using their original ID Document.EU nationals can continue to evidence their right to live and work in the UK using their passport or identity card until 31 December 2020.

Stop and Search: Lancashire

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times stop and search was used by Lancashire Constabulary in 2018; and (a) how many convictions there were for crimes involving the use of knives and (b) how many of those convictions resulted from arrests following stop and search in Lancashire in 2018.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of stop and searches conducted by each police force in England and Wales and the number of resultant arrests. These data are published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-walesIn 2017/18, Lancashire Police conducted 3,284 stop and searches in total.The Home Office does not collect data on outcomes of prosecutions. Nor does the data collected by the Home Office on stop and searches allow for the stop and search to be tracked through the criminal justice system to the outcome of a prosecution.

Police Interrogation: Recordings

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether interviews are recorded when a person is interviewed by the police without legal representation.

Mr Nick Hurd: Whenever a person suspected of committing an offence is questioned under caution about their involvement in an offence, the interview must always be recorded whether or not they have legal representation. These rules are set out in Codes C, E and F of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the exemption for PhD-level roles from visa caps announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Spring Statement includes exemption from the minimum salary requirement.

Caroline Nokes: In the Spring Statement, my Rt Hon Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that PhD-level occupations will be exempt from the Tier 2 (General) visa cap. The change will not alter the salary requirements for these roles.  Salary thresholds in Tier 2 are designed to ensure that the resident labour market is not undercut by overseas workers and that migrants are paid a salary that is fair and reflects the labour market.

Immigration Controls: Airports

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the average waiting time at (a) e-passport gates and (b) manual passport checks at the UK border in airports throughout the UK in each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force is committed to ensuring that passengers arriving in the UK receive an excellent service. But this must also be balanced with our responsibility to Border Security, checking 100% of passports and making sure that anyone or anything that might cause harm to the UK is properly dealt with.The experience for British and other EEA nationals is further enhanced where those passengers travel using biometric passports as they can use our ePassport gates.There are 264 e-Passport Gates now operational at 23 air and rail terminals including Paris Gare du Nord and Brussels Gare du Mid, and e-Passport Gates usage continues to increase, linked to the increase availability of e-Passports. From January 2018 to November 2018, 49.6m passengers used the gatesPerformance against out passenger wait time SLA can be found in Border Force Transparency data available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-february-2019

Members: Correspondence

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Home Office plans to respond to the enquiry of 23 January 2019 from the hon. Member for Glasgow Central on behalf of her constituent Ms Valerie Hayes.

Caroline Nokes: A response to your enquiry is in hand and a substantive reply will be sent within a week.

Members: Correspondence

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Home Office plans to respond to the enquiry of 23 January 2019 to UKVI from the hon. Member for Glasgow Central on behalf of her constituent, Mr Maloth.

Caroline Nokes: A response was sent to you on 15 March 2019.

Visas: Married People

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made over the effect of denied spousal visas on families across the UK.

Caroline Nokes: The Supreme Court has upheld the lawfulness of the requirements of the Immigration Rules for spouse visas. The Rules, which include the minimum income and English language requirements, prevent burdens on the taxpayer and promote integration. The Supreme Court agreed that they strike a fair balance between the interests of those wishing to sponsor a non-European Economic Area national spouse to settle in the UK and of the community in general.We continue to keep the family Immigration Rules under review and make adjustments in light of feedback on their operation and impact. Our overall assessment is that the family Immigration Rules are having the right impact and are helping to ensure public confidence in the immigration system.

Wales Office

UK Trade with EU: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on (a) Holyhead and (b) Pembroke Docks of the plan to have lower tariffs on goods entering the UK via Northern Ireland rather than via other UK ports.

Alun Cairns: The UK Government is clear that the proposed approach is temporary. The re-routing of supply lines is therefore unlikely. Diverting goods through the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland solely to avoid tariffs and tariff rate quotas would be unlawful.In a no-deal scenario, we are committed to entering into discussions urgently with the European Commission and the Irish Government to jointly agree long-term measures to avoid a hard border.

UK Trade with EU: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) to make an assessment of the effect of the Government’s temporary tariff regime for the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on Welsh businesses.

Alun Cairns: The temporary tariff regime is a balanced tariff policy which aims to minimise costs to business and mitigate price impacts on consumers. The UK Government has informally consulted with businesses and business representatives during the development of this policy. This tariff is a temporary policy that will apply for up to 12 months, at the end of which the UK Government will introduce a long-term tariff regime.

Cabinet Office

European Parliament: Elections

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to prepare for the possibility of holding elections to the European Parliament in May 2019.

Chloe Smith: It remains the priority of the Government to leave the European Union with a deal.Government is not contingency planning to hold European Parliamentary Elections.

Sir Philip Green

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects the Honours Forfeiture Committee will respond to the letter from the rt hon. Member for Birkenhead of 14 February 2019 on Sir Philip Green's knighthood.

Chloe Smith: The Forfeiture Committee has now had sight of the letter dated 14th February. We will not make any comment or statement in relation to the details of individual cases.

Local Government: Staff

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been directly employed by local authorities in England since 2010.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 13.32 KB)

Interserve: Contracts

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the extent to which alternative providers will assume existing Interserve contracts in the event that Interserve enters administration.

Oliver Dowden: As Interserve has stated publicly, its business will continue to operate as normal for customers and suppliers. The operating companies Interserve have not entered administration and will be unaffected. Therefore no alternative providers will be required. The provision of public services will continue without disruption or impact on jobs or pensions.

Interserve

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of Interserve going into administration.

Oliver Dowden: As Interserve has stated publicly, its business will continue to operate as normal for customers and suppliers. The operating companies of Interserve have not entered administration and will be unaffected. As a result, the provision of public services will continue without disruption or impact on jobs or pensions and with no additional cost to the taxpayer.

Interserve

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of alternative providers to take over public sector contracts held by Interserve, in the event that Interserve enters administration.

Oliver Dowden: As Interserve has stated publicly, its business will continue to operate as normal for customers and suppliers. The operating companies of Interserve have not entered administration and will be unaffected. Therefore no alternative providers will be required. The provision of public services will continue without disruption or impact on jobs or pensions.

Interserve: Schools

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on schools of Interserve entering administration.

Oliver Dowden: As Interserve has stated publicly, its business will continue to operate as normal for customers and suppliers. The operating companies of Interserve have not entered administration and will be unaffected. As a result, public services will continue without disruption or impact on jobs and with no additional cost to the taxpayer.

Interserve: Schools

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with alternative providers on taking over Interserve contracts in schools, in the event that Interserve enters administration.

Oliver Dowden: As Interserve has stated publicly, its business will continue to operate as normal for customers and suppliers. The operating companies of Interserve have not entered administration and will be unaffected. As a result, we have not had discussions with any alternative suppliers.

Treasury

Inheritance Tax

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of beneficiaries of the main residence nil rate band of Inheritance Tax exemption in 2018, (b) where those beneficiaries are located and (c) what is the average income of those beneficiaries was.

Mel Stride: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 25 February 2019.The correct answer should have been:

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 6 March 26 February 2018 to the Hon. Member for Leeds West for the number of beneficiaries of the main residence nil rate band. Estimates of the location and average income of beneficiaries of the main residence nil rate band in 2018 are not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Mel Stride: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 6 March 26 February 2018 to the Hon. Member for Leeds West for the number of beneficiaries of the main residence nil rate band. Estimates of the location and average income of beneficiaries of the main residence nil rate band in 2018 are not readily available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Film: Finance

Giles Watling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme in helping domestic film production companies raise funding.

Mel Stride: The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme was introduced in 2012 to support investment in very early-stage companies, which often struggle to access growth capital. As a non-sectoral scheme, no assessment has been made of the application of the SEIS to specific industries or sectors. Since its introduction, the scheme has helped over 8,000 companies from a range of industries to raise around £800 million in investment. The government recognises the importance of the film industry to the UK economy, which is why it offers specific support for the production of culturally British films. Last year alone the film tax relief provided support worth £469 million, in addition to nearly £70 million in direct funding.

VAT: Electronic Government

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of UK SMEs with a turnover of £85,000 or more are prepared for the transfer to digital VAT records due to take effect in April 2019.

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on SMEs of the cost of purchasing software to meet the forthcoming online digital VAT records obligation.

Simon Hart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people not signed up to the transfer deadline for digital VAT records can sign up without a penalty or receive an extension.

Mel Stride: There is a high level of awareness of the upcoming introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT among businesses and tax professionals, and the number of businesses making preparations gives us confidence that the vast majority will be ready. Over 43,000 businesses have already joined the pilot service, with thousands more joining every day. In research carried out in December 2018, 8 in 10 VAT mandated businesses were aware of MTD either by name or concept. Of those who were aware, 83% had already started to prepare. It’s important to note that the 1st April deadline is not a cliff edge by which time businesses need to have signed-up. The first returns for most businesses under the new system won’t be due until August at the earliest. HMRC has been working closely with the software industry so that businesses will be able to choose products that suit both their budget and their needs. That includes software which has been developed specifically to support different types of sector and ‘bridging software’ to allow businesses to continue keeping their records in spreadsheets if they prefer. HMRC’s comprehensive Impact Assessment, developed in consultation with external stakeholders and informed by both quantitative and qualitative evidence, anticipated net ongoing software costs of £37m for those businesses needing to operate MTD. Costs will vary by individual business, with some providers offering free software and over 140 existing subscription products are being updated at no cost at all. We recognise that businesses will require time to become familiar with these new requirements. As confirmed at Spring Statement, during the first year of VAT mandation we are committed to taking a light touch approach to penalties. HMRC will not issue record keeping or filing penalties where businesses are doing their best to comply with MTD.

Treasury: Accountancy

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many chartered accountants his Department currently employs.

Robert Jenrick: HM Treasury employs 60 chartered accountants.

Child Tax Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department's policy is on entitlement to child tax credits once a dependent in full-time education turns 19 years old.

Elizabeth Truss: Entitlement to Child Tax Credit can be paid for a qualifying young person up until the age of 20. This is provided the qualifying young person is in full-time non-advanced education, and they enrolled on their course before they turned 19.

Coinage: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to design and mint a £1 coin celebrating the heritage of the Falklands as part of the new pound coin roll-out to British overseas territories.

Robert Jenrick: On 6th January 2019 we announced Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, such as the Falklands, are now able to design and mint their own versions of the iconic new £1 coin. The decision to do so is for the government of the Falkland Islands to take.

Students: Finance

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to raise the national funding rate for 16 to 18 year old students (a) to £4,760 a year or (b) in line with inflation.

Elizabeth Truss: The government has made no decisions on Further Education spending beyond the current Spending Review period. Decisions on public spending, including on Further Education, will be taken at the Spending Review later this year.

Credit: Interest Rates

Jo Stevens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times the Financial Conduct Authority has taken enforcement action against lenders who have breached the rules on affordability checks for loans in each of the last five years.

John Glen: On 1 April 2014, regulation of the consumer credit market, including payday lenders, was transferred to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We have passed the Honourable Member’s question on to the FCA, who will reply directly by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Tax Avoidance

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March to Question 229807, how HMRC communicated with people affected by disguised remuneration debt to ensure that they were aware that it was HMRC’s policy not to force the sale of a main residence in relation to a DR debt.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will not force somebody to sell their main home to pay their Disguised Remuneration (DR) debt. This policy was confirmed verbally by HMRC officials at the Treasury Select Committee on 30 January 2019. HMRC also confirmed this long-standing policy in an issue briefing published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-issue-briefing-disguised-remuneration-charge-on-loans/hmrc-issue-briefing-disguised-remuneration-charge-on-loans HMRC officials handling settlements relating to DR cases make this position clear to customers. HMRC has also streamlined its approach to settlement for those affected by the DR loan charge by allowing up to 5 years payment terms for those now earning less than £50,000 and who are no longer engaged in tax avoidance without the need for detailed supporting information; and up to 7 years for those now earning less than £30,000. For those with an income of £50,000 or more, or who need to pay over a longer period, HMRC can agree longer payment arrangements, for which there is no set maximum period, but individuals will need to provide supporting information.

Boilers

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had with (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (b) the boiler manufacturing industry and (c) trade unions prior to his announcement on 13 March 2019 of a ban on gas boilers in new dwellings from 2025.

Robert Jenrick: As part of its preparations for Spring Statement, HM Treasury engages with a wide range of stakeholders and other government departments. The government will consult on the detail of the Future Homes Standard as part of its review of the Building Regulations energy efficiency standards in 2019, and input from stakeholders will be welcomed.

Tax Collection

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2019 to Question 229820 on tax collection, what the total amount was that the Affluent teams working in HMRC raised in additional taxation from high net worth individuals from 2010 to April 2017.

Mel Stride: The High Net Worth Unit and Affluent teams were merged in April 2017. Prior to this date, the Affluent teams population did not include high net worth individuals.

Smuggling

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2019 to Question 227387 on smuggling, how many HMRC staff work with Border Force to assist with anti-smuggling activity.

Mel Stride: The HMRC staff who work with Border Force to assist them in their anti-smuggling activity, are drawn from a wide variety of business areas, and are charged with a wide range of responsibilities. As a consequence, the information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Tax Avoidance

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer on 4 March 2019 to Question 226685 on tax avoidance, how many users of tax avoidance schemes did HMRC have under review in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016, (e) 2017 and (f) 2018.

Mel Stride: HMRC currently have around 80,000 users of tax avoidance schemes under review. The number under review in 2017 was 105,000 users. An accurate number for earlier years is not available.

Taxation: Appeals

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to question 229219 on taxation tribunals, how much HMRC spent last year on tribunal costs.

Mel Stride: HMRC does not hold information on the amount spent on tribunal costs in a manner where it can be specifically attributed to the cost of taxation tribunals. The overall costs incurred by HMRC in litigation activities is a combination of directly attributable costs (such as the cost incurred by its Legal Department) and indirect costs (such as cost incurred by HMRC witnesses). HMRC does not hold information on the amount spent on these activities in a manner where it can be specifically attributed to the cost of tribunals alone.

Tax Avoidance

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer on 7th January 2019 given to Question 203919 on tax avoidance, how many promoters of tax avoidance schemes have paid HMRC a penalty in each of the last five years.

Mel Stride: A key component of HMRC’s strategy in tackling the promoters of tax avoidance schemes is to change their behaviour so that they stop this activity altogether. HMRC has a range of powers available to it under the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS), Promoters of Tax Avoidance Schemes (POTAS), and the Enablers legislation. Charging penalties is not the only sanction available under these regimes. As a result of HMRC’s concerted action, a number of major promoters have now co-operated with HMRC and have either stopped selling schemes or ceased in business altogether. Those who have failed to comply with their obligations under the DOTAS legislation may face penalties. Fewer than 5 penalties have been charged over the last 5 years. HMRC has challenged a number of promoters under the POTAS regime, since it was introduced in 2014, which were complied with as promoters ceased promoting schemes, but none have yet reached the stage of incurring liability to a penalty. The Enablers legislation was introduced in 2017. It imposes a new penalty of 100% of the gross fees, excluding VAT, for any person who enables the use of tax avoidance arrangements that are defeated by HMRC. It is too early for penalties to have been issued.

Council Housing: Valuation

Jo Stevens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the total value of council property in England in each year since 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: Every year the Treasury publishes Whole of Government Accounts (WGA). This is a consolidated account for the entire public sector. WGA includes valuations (in line with those published in the statutory accounts of individual local authorities) of dwellings recognised in local authority accounts. These are then consolidated and published alongside other assets in the WGA accounts. This information is presented in the table below. Although WGA was published from 2009-10, the Treasury only holds information going back to 2012-13. It is important to note that this figure does not include housing associations, which are not consolidated into WGA. This table only covers English Local Government. Local authorities prepare their accounts under the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA) code of practice on local authority accounting. Under section 4.1.2 of this guidance, council dwellings includes dwellings within the Housing Revenue Account. The data below is consistent with that definition of Council dwellings.  Net book value (£k)2017-1888,043,8282016-1785,770,9042015-1676,405,4862014-1570,937,6492013-1465,527,4052012-1361,521,325

Revenue and Customs: Overseas Aid

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the £18.25 million that HMRC will invest in Overseas Development Assistance funding over the next six years will come from its existing budget or new funding allocated to that department.

Mel Stride: The six year period covers the current 2015 Spending Review and the 2019 Spending Review announced at the Spring Statement. For the time period covered by the current Spending Review the Official Development Assistance funding is from within the existing departmental budget and budget transferred from other government departments. For the time period covered by the 2019 Spending Review, from 20/21 onwards, departmental budgets have yet to be set by HM Treasury. These will be finalised as part of the upcoming Spending Review, this includes the funding that HMRC will be allocated for Official Development Assistance.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Water Sports

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of current access rights to water on paddlesport participation in England.

Mims Davies: The Government’s sport strategy, Sporting Future, encourages and promotes outdoor recreation. Use of our waterways by all can be a creative and fun way to engage with the natural world and to stay healthy. Sport England is actively engaged with British Canoeing and the Canal and River Trust to get more people from all backgrounds active. In addition Sport England is providing £6.85m to British Canoeing for the period between 2017 to 2021. The ‘public rights of navigation’ issue around access to waterways is dealt with by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and they are currently working with British Canoeing to consider solutions to access disputes.

Broadband: North Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Spring Statement of 13 March 2019, HCWS1407, what the delivery timescale is for Wave 3 allocations for Local Full Fibre Networks in north Wales.

Margot James: All projects allocated funding as part of the Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) Wave 3 must have completed the portion of their build funded by DCMS by March 2021. This is the end of our LFFN funding window from HM Treasury. These projects contain varying degrees of additional funding from Local Bodies themselves - who of course may choose to self fund these projects beyond this date.

Women and Equalities

Females: Northern Ireland

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the opening statement to the seventy-second session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women by Elysia McCaffrey on 26 February 2019 on women in Northern Ireland, what political structures are required to (a) authorise and (b) approve the UK's response; and what the timescale is for that response to be published.

Victoria Atkins: The UK was examined by the UN CEDAW Committee on 26 February. The UK was praised for its positive engagement with the Committee. On 11 March the Committee published its Concluding Observations and Recommendations. The UK response is due in our 9th Periodic Report in 2023, other than on four areas where the Committee has requested a response by 2021. On the recommendations relating to changes to criminal law on abortion in Northern Ireland, it is the Government's preference that the issues are addressed by a restored Executive and Assembly with requisite competence over these issues. A substantive response to the Committee’s 2018 Inquiry on these points will be provided once there is a restored Executive in Northern Ireland to consider and prepare a response, as appropriate. In the meantime, the Minister for Women and Equalities has recently written to the Chair of the Select Committee on Women & Equalities with suggestions for more immediate actions that the Select Committee may wish to consider as they finalise their inquiry report on this issue, and she will place a copy in the Libraries of the House.